The Wager
by Byakuya'sGirl90210
Summary: Nanao agrees to go on a date with her captain if he finishes his paperwork on time, never expecting him to win the wager. The dates ensue and hidden feelings come to light. ShunsuiXNanao (Formerly The Many Dates of Shunsui and Nanao)
1. The Wager

**A Little Wager**

All was calm at the Eighth Division, as it usually was. The squad members were shuffling around doing their usual day to day jobs, doing paperwork and training. Everyone except for a certain lieutenant who was on the search for a certain captain who wore a pink floral kimono and for some reason no socks with his sandals. Shunsui Kyouraku was always sneaky like that. Despite how many times she kept an eye on him he always managed to sneak away and hide out somewhere to take a nap. Lucky for her, though, that she learned quickly how to figure out where he was by following his spirit ribbon. The man thought he had her fooled by hiding his reatsu completely from her but he didn't know her secret in finding him every day. Today was no different. He always found a new 'hiding' spot but Nanao was quick to locate him. She found him under a sakura tree his hands tucked under his head and his hat tipped over his face to block the sun. Nanao sighed softly as she shook her head, reaching up to push her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. Already she could smell the sake on him. It seemed to be a permanent odor with him. Considering how much he drank on a daily basis she was honestly surprised he wasn't at the Fourth Division needing a liver transplant by now. She walked over to his slumbering form and she cleared her throat, "Captain Kyouraku." she said, raising a slender black eyebrow when Shunsui just hummed in his sleep, "Captain. There's work to be done at the division and some of it does require your signature. I won't forge it again. I almost lost my position as lieutenant when the head captain saw the faulty signature." she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Shunsui hummed again and he slowly reached up to keep his hat tucked against his face, "But my lovely Nanao-chan can forge it so well. I don't know how he could have told the difference." he said in a groggy voice, slowly tipping the hat up to expose an eye that was looking up at her, "It's such a lovely day Nanao-chan. A perfect afternoon for a nap. Why don't you nap with me?" he asked, a little smile appearing on his handsome features. She sighed and rubbed her temple with her thumb and middle fingers, closing her eyes.

"Sir, this paperwork is important. It's signing off on all the new recruits and there are at least one hundred to look over. I won't make the decisions myself on who is accepted into our division." she said, annoyed now which only made her look cuter to him. He studied her features, how her brow furrowed and how thick her eyelashes looked behind those glasses.

With a deep sigh he moved to sit up, tilting his head down as he pulled his legs up into an Indian style position, "Yare-yare… And here I was gonna take a nice long nap this afternoon." he murmured, slowly standing up which put him nearly a full foot taller than her. Nanao shook her head, that serious look ever present on her face.

"Sir, when the weather permits you take a nap nearly every day." she said, making him chuckle as he shrugged his broad shoulders, "Anyways, please, let's get back to the division and go over these candidacy applications and decide who we want to enroll into our division." she said but all he did was turn to her and made a kissy face at her.

"My lovely Nanao-chan said 'Our' division~ I'm so flattered~" he said, Nanao rolling her blue eyes as she turned and began to make her way back to the division.

"Being that you are the captain and I am the lieutenant, yes, it is our division. But that is strictly on a professional basis captain." she told him, glancing back at him as she produced her fan from her sleeve, "Now, please return with me captain. I am not afraid to drag you back again with kidou like last time." she warned him, making him chuckle but he did as she requested and began to follow her back towards Division Eight, tucking his hands int his pockets as they strolled along.

Shunsui looked around them as they walked, quiet for a few minutes until he broke the silence, much to Nanao's annoyance, "You should come on walks with me sometime Nanao-chan. You're always working so hard at the division. All work and no play."

Nanao glared back at him with a soft scoff, "Well I have a captain who runs off every chance he gets so I have to pick up his work load. So pardon me if I don't have the time to enjoy myself outside the division every once in a while." she said to him, making him pout softly at her. Ouch. That one hurt.

"So mean Nanao-chan~" he chided but she ignored him and went back to the Eighth, heading to their joined office where there was a mountain of work both on her desk and his. His grey eyes widened slightly and his jaw fell open a little, "There's that much work to be done? It's gonna take days…" he grumbled as he walked over to his desk, thumbing through some of the applications as he sat down in his chair.

His lieutenant sat down at her own, starting to work on the papers that were on her desk, "Well you have until the end of the work day tomorrow to finish them. You've had two weeks to do them captain. I've kept reminding you but as usual you put it off until the last minute and now it's crunch time." she said, not looking up from the papers she was tending to, "So, unless you plan on staying here all night at the division I suggest you get started." Shunsui looked between her and the stack of papers before he sighed and picked up the first application. He hated this time of year. The academy graduated a mass swarm of recruits this time of year and while he loved getting new members to his Squad the paperwork that came with it was a pain in his ass. Shunsui was quiet for about a half hour, Nanao enjoying the silence until she heard the pen he was using stop and tap the desk from being put down. And she was so enjoying the silence.

"How about we go get a snack? Hmm?" he asked, Nanao looking up at the papers with a bewildered look after she looked at the time shown by the clock on the wall.

"It's been just over half an hour sir. Surely you can sit there for half an hour more." she said to him. Sometimes she couldn't believe how this man had come to be captain. Yes he was strong and could be wise but the man was lazier than a sloth and had the attention span of a goldfish at times. It was frustrating at times but he was her captain and to an extent she cared about him even if he was a womanizing drunk at times. They had a unique relationship and despite his being annoying she couldn't imagine serving under anyone other than him. Throughout the years as she grew up at the 8th Division as a young apprentice shinigami he became her mentor, confidant when Lisa was no longer there, and he'd gained her trust and devotion, "What would it take to get you to finish your paperwork in a timely manor? I can hide your sake or put a kidou on it so you can't open it." she threatened, his eyes widening as he looked over at her.

"You wouldn't!" he said, Nanao smirking lightly at hi. He rubbed his scruffy chin for a moment before he grinned. It was a devious, I'm-Up-To-No-Good grin that automatically had her curious and nervous at the same time, "I have an idea~ A little wager if you will~" he mused, making her look at him curiously, "How about we make a deal? If I finish all my paper work by the end of each week, my lovely Nanao-chan will go on a date with me every Friday?" he asked her. Nanao was pretty sure that if she had been drinking water she would have spit it out all over her desk.

"E-excuse me?! You want to trade paperwork for dates?" she asked him, Shunsui nodding with a grin which only had her blushing a bright pink. She could feel her heart starting to beat nervously, not having any idea what that was about. He'd been bugging her for years to go out with him but she always assumed that he was joking, still considered her his "Little Nanao". Maybe she'd play along this time. See if he was really serious.

He tipped his head and shrugged his shoulders, keeping that goofy grin on his face, "Of course! I can think of plenty of dates to take my lovely Nanao-Chan on if she agrees to our wager." he said, Nanao nipping on her lip as she glanced down at the papers sprawled out on her desk that needed to be signed still.

After what seemed like forever she let out a soft breath and she closed her eyes, "Okay." she said simply, which completely shocked Shunsui. She actually agreed to it? Hell must have been freezing over, "But, there will be rules and conditioned that you will follow or the deal is off." she said with a raised finger, making him smirk. Now there was his Nanao-chan.

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Just make a list of the terms and conditions and I'll happily sign my name~" he chimed with a smitten grin, making Nanao blush a little more before she cleared her throat and shook her head.

"Well, if you manage to get all this done by tomorrow at the end of the work day then I guess you can take me out this Friday." Shunsui passed her a smile and cast her a wink, making her swallow slightly.

"You're on Nanao-chan~"

* * *

The following morning, Nanao stared dumbfoundedly at the stack of papers that were neatly piled on her desk, her mouth slightly agape as her fingers flipped through the pages, every one of them correctly filled out and signed by none other than her captain. She looked over at the man who was sitting at his desk with a happy little grin on his face, "How did you manage to get through all these papers? And it's 8 AM! You're /never/ here this early." she said which only made him chuckle as he crossed his arms over his chest, a smug little grin on his face.

"You gave me a deal and I took it. Now I get to reap the rewards." he said to her, leaning back in his chair as he watched his bewildered lieutenant continue to look through the stack, trying to find something wrong with one of the applications but she couldn't find a single one that was done in the wrong way, "I worked through the night on them. I took them home with me and I made sure to get every single one of them signed, sealed, and delivered. I finished them around 2 AM I suppose." he said, honestly not remembering when he finished them. All he knew was that he had gotten them done and now his mind was working on where to take Nanao on their first date. He leaned forward on his desk, his fingers lacing together as he smirked at her, "Now… about our first date."

* * *

 **So I've been wanting to write a fanfic with Shunsui and Nanao for a while now but I never really figured out what to write until now. So, here's the first chapter! I know it's a little short but it's just the introductory. The following chapters will be longer I promise. What does Shunsui have in mind for his Nanao-chan~? Review to find out! :)**

 **Byakuya'sGirl90210**


	2. The First Date

**The First Date**

Nanao was pacing around the office, particularly Rangiku's office. The busty redhead was just watching her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her face, "So you took him up on his wager? You honestly think Captain Kyouraku, the man who has been chasing after you for /years/, wouldn't take that bet seriously?" she asked, crossing her arms over her ample breasts. Nanao looked at her with a slight glare behind her glasses but she didn't stop her pacing.

"I didn't think he was serious Rangiku! That man has /never/ completed all his paperwork on time. He had a week's worth of paperwork and he completed it within 24 hours! And to top it all off he was at the office by 8 AM the next morning sitting there all bright eyed and bushy tailed and those papers were in my out box stacked, signed, and in order!" she said to her, running her fingers through her bangs that just hung right back in her face. Rangiku was totally amused by this, "And now I have to honour my end of the deal and the gods only know what he has in store for the date." she said, moving over to one of the chairs in Rangiku's office so she could sit down, her elbows on her knees as she propped her chin on her fists.

Rangiku hummed and tapped her pen against her chin, swiveling in her chair slightly back and forth as she looked at Nanao, "It's one date Nanao. What's the big deal? Just go on the one date and if you don't enjoy it then you don't have to do it again." she said, a wicked little smirk appearing on her face, "But if you do enjoy it then you can go on other dates." she said, Nanao shaking her head as she looked over at her redheaded friend.

"Go on more? Are you kidding? I don't think I can get through this 'date'." she said as she put air quotes around the word date, leaning back in the chair as she let out an exasperated sigh.

Tipping her head, Rangiku thought about it for a moment before she smirked, "Say… you don't think he'll try to… make moves on you do you?" she asked, Nanao looking over at her with a bit of a confused face and Rangiku rolled her eyes, "Sex! You don't think he'll make those kind of moves do you?" she asked, Nanao's eyes widening and she blushed heavily as she shook her head quickly.

"No! Gods no! I won't even let him hold my hand, much less that." she said, Rangiku giggling as she watched how flustered Nanao had gotten over that notion, "No, I'm making a clear list of rules and regulations on what he can't do. If he wants to take me on this date then he's gonna play by my rules." she told her, going to be very precise about what she was going to allow and what was strictly off limits.

"Well, either way you'd better come and see me and tell me the details young missy or I will be very upset!" she said to her, Nanao grumbling something before mumbling an okay to her, "Perfect! Now, about those rules~" she said, pulling out some blank sheets of paper and a pen, motioning for Nanao to scoot her chair closer which she did after hesitating a moment or two, "When is the date?" she asked her, glancing up to Nanao who just nipped her lip.

"Tomorrow. Friday night." she said, Rengiku nodding as she penned "Rules for Dating Nanao" at the top in pretty curly letters before pushing the sheet and pen over to her friend.

"Then you'd better get started~"

* * *

 **THE NEXT MORNING**

By the time Shunsui rolled into the office, Nanao was already sitting at her desk, as she usually was, already working on the papers brought to her, "Good morning my lovely Nanao-chan~! Are you ready for our date tonight?" he asked her, Nanao's hand stopping from signing the papers so she could look up at him.

"As ready as I'll ever be captain." she told him, making him pout cutely as he moved over to his desk where there was a small stack of papers waiting for his signature, "Are you going to tell me what our date will consist of or will it just be a surprise?" she asked him out of curiosity, Shunsui smiling warmly at her, making her heart skip a beat for reasons she couldn't say.

"I'll let you know later in the afternoon. It's a surprise but I'll let you know what to wear." he told her, reaching over to grab his stack of papers to start working on them. That was certainly a shock. But she guessed he was still trying to win the wager because he still had that small stack to get through before he officially 'won' his deal. He worked for a solid half hour and didn't notice Nanao had gotten up from her desk until he saw a tri-folded piece of paper placed on his desk. He blinked his grey eyes and reached out to take it, "What is this?" he asked as he opened up the folds.

Nanao straightened up a little bit as she cleared her throat, blushing a little as she pushed up her glasses, "There are going to be rules and regulations captain. If you want me to honour my end of the deal you'll play by my rules. And I took the liberty of writing them all down for you so you wouldn't forget them in case you needed a reminder." she said, Shunsui raising an eyebrow as he read over the list.

"Okay… let's see what we've got." he said as he scanned them over, "No PDA, no inappropriate gestures or talk, no groping of any kind… These make me out like I'm some kind of womanizer." he said as he looked up at her only to be met with a raised eyebrow, making him clear his throat softly as he looked back down at the list. He couldn't exactly argue that he wasn't. Shunsui Kyouraku was very well known for chasing women and his adventures with them in and out of the bedroom. He could understand why she was so skeptical about him and creating all these rules. He chuckled at one in particular, "No sex? I'm not looking to jump into bed with you from the get go Nanao-chan."

She sat back down at her desk, humming softly to herself. Bet I'm one of the only women he's told that too… She shook her head of her thoughts and she looked over at him, "Do you agree to them or not captain? Those are my rules." she said, Shunsui reading over the rest of them before he nodded, laying the paper down on his desk.

"To take you on a date? I'll accept any rules you give me." he told her with his ever so charming grin. He even picked up a pen and signed his name on the bottom, "Here you go. I accept your terms and conditions." he said, standing up and taking the paper back to her where she tucked it into her desk drawer. He winked at her and sat back down, picking up his pen once more, "I'll see you tonight~"

* * *

Cursing softly, Nanao was digging through her wardrobe, trying to figure out what to wear. She hadn't gotten word on what to wear since she went home from work so she was trying to figure it out on her own. Should she wear a kimono? What if he took her to the Living World? A kimono would be weird wouldn't it? She grumbled in agitation on why she was worrying so much over it. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock on her door and she looked at her clock, "An hour early? Now he's trying a little /too/ hard to impress me." she said as she went to the door, opening it up but she blinked when no one was there. She glanced down and sitting on her door mat was a single red rose with a note taped to it. Blushing softly she bent down to pick it up, looking at the card.

 _I thought we'd just do something simple tonight. A casual kimono will do. Can't wait to see you._

 _Shunsui_

She slowly closed the door as she read the card, nipping on her lip as her gaze shifted to the red rose the note was attached to. Her fingers brushed across the delicate petals and she couldn't help but smile a little. No one had given her a flower before and definitely not to deliver a note. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of water to put the rose in and then she went upstairs, "A casual kimono… Okay." she said as she went back to her closet. Now that she knew what she was looking for she dug out a simple blue kimono with grey clouds and a grey sash, making sure it was properly in place before she went to fix her hair, putting it up in her usual bun with her bangs hanging down the sides of her face. She looked in the mirror and hummed softly, Makeup or no makeup? She decided on makeup but only added a touch of mascara and a touch of lip gloss. She never did wear any makeup so she didn't want to attempt at putting any on besides the two products that she just put on. Before she knew it there was another knock on the door and she took a small breath before she made her way there and put her hand on the doorknob. But not without checking her clock, a little smile appearing on her face. So he was on time after all. She took a soft breath and she opened the door, looking up at Shunsui who was standing there with a small smile on his face, "Captain Kyouraki." she said softly.

He was wearing a pair of grey yakuta pants and a black shirt, wearing it like he would his uniform in which his shirt left a large V down the middle, giving her a teasing view of his chest and the top of his abs. He wasn't wearing tabi socks, which made Nanao wonder if the man even owned a pair of them. He wasn't donning his floral kimono across his shoulders and his straw hat was absent. But what was still present was his dual zanpakutou secured on his hip. His brown curly hair was tied back as it usually was and he had the two hair pins tucked at the base, "Good evening Nanao-chan. You're looking quite lovely this evening." he said to her, taking her hand to give it a kiss. She blushed and quickly pulled her hand back, clearing her throat softly which made him chuckle, "That's right. No touching. I'll be good, I promise." he told her, Nanao giving a little nod as she smoothed her kimono down a little.

"S-so… where are we going?" she asked him as she closed her door behind her, making sure all her lights were off and her door was locked before she let Shunsui lead her away. He looked down at her and smiled, the light of the sunset reflecting off his tanned skin.

"I figured we should do something simple tonight. I'll save the going all out stuff for later~" he said, winking at her which had her blushing all the more, "I thought I'd take you to one of my favorite restaurants in the Rukongai. They have an excellent menu and the atmosphere is nice. I think you'll really like it." he said to her. She nodded, realizing her hands were fiddling with her sash and she quickly stopped. So it was just dinner. Dinner she could handle. Dinner was a good place to start. She mentally shook her head and she nipped on her lip. Oh no. There wasn't going to be a 'place to start'. This was a one time thing, not something to build off of!

"Dinner would be nice… I'm hungry." she lied, far too nervous really to think about food but she'd try. She didn't even know why she was nervous. She was calm and collected on the outside but the inside was a wreck. She couldn't understand why she was so nervous about this. It was a bet. A bet that she lost. She mentally argued with herself. How could she lose a bet like that? To her captain no less? Her thoughts were shaken when she heard someone speaking and once she actually focused she realized it was Shusui, "H-huh? Did you say something?" she asked him with attentive eyes.

Shunsui raised an eyebrow and he chuckled softly, "Thinking about something Nanao?" he asked her in a playful tone, Nanao quickly shaking her head as she cleared her throat, "I was asking whether you wanted to take a stroll after dinner or if you'd rather me take you straight home." he said, not sure of when she went to bed in the evenings so he didn't want to keep her out too late.

She tipped her head to his inquiry and she hummed, "As long as we're back by nine… I usually like to be in bed by ten." he told him, Shunsui smirking faintly.

"Ohh? Early to bed early to rise huh? That should be very doable considering it's only 5:30." he commented as he looked at his watch. He rarely ever wore one but he did have one and used it on occasion. He led her along the paths until they walked through the gates to the first district in the Rukongai. Small string lights with little lanterns on them were strung around the streets, shingami and souls alike wandering around looking for dinner and just enjoying the evening. Nanao looked around, blushing lightly as several shinigami looked over at them. Shunsui could sense her tensing up and he gently brushed his hand along her lower back, effectively making her squeak as she jumped a little, "Relax Nanao. It's okay." he said in a soothing voice, Nanao swallowing lightly.

"The shinigami here are staring at us…" she murmured quietly for only him to hear and he smiled.

"Can a captain not be seen outside his division with his lieutenant for a nice dinner?" he asked her, Nanao nipping on her lip as if she were thinking about her answer, "None of these shinigami are even in our division. Even if they were, what they think isn't important. We're just here to have a nice dinner and enjoy ourselves." he said to her, Nanao slowly nodding and he could see her starting to slowly but surely relax. He turned down a few streets, taking her deeper and deeper into the first district before they came across a little restaurant, Nanao blinking curiously as she looked at it, "Here we are." he said, pulling back the curtain which revealed a small room of maybe four tables, some that could be separated into smaller tables for smaller parties.

"I didn't expect it to be so…" she started but Shunsui finished for her.

"Small? I thought you'd like something quieter and calm than a bustling restaurant. Besides it was small enough I could rent the whole place out for the evening so it's just the two of us." he said, that certainly shocking her. She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide as she blinked and then looked around.

"You just rented this entire place out? You didn't have to do that…" she said, though on the inside she was quite happy. She was hoping it would be a place that wasn't too crowded and loud and this was the perfect spot. Shunsui led her to the table that was in the back corner and had a single lit candle, two menus set up and as well as their utensils and two cups of fresh, hot tea. sat down on the large pillow on one side, Nanao sitting on the other one after taking off her sandals, placing them beside Shunsui's. A man came out a minute or two later and brought them some water.

Shunsui motioned to the menu and he smiled softly at her, "Order whatever you'd like. My treat." he said, Nanao nipping her lip again which he kept noticing. He rather liked that little gesture though. It was cute and it suited her. He imagined all the different situations where she would nip her lip and it made him smile subconsciously. Nanao peeked up from her menu to glance at him and saw he was smiling at her and she blushed.

"W-what?" she asked quietly, tucking her bangs behind her ear. He quickly shook his head and waved his hand.

"Nothing nothing. Just letting my thoughts wander is all." he said, quickly picking up the menu to look it over, "What if we just did a kaiseki meal? The courses look really good." he suggested, Nanao looking it over before giving a nod. That sounded good. That way she wouldn't have to decide anything. Her stomach was still in knots and so much sounded so delicious she couldn't choose anyways.

"Sure. I'm fine with that." she murmured, Shunsui nodding before waving over the waiter, giving the order to him as well as the menus and then the man was off to the kitchen to prepare it for them, "Thank you… I guess I'm… well.."

"A little nervous?" he asked her, Nanao nodding as she fiddled with her sash in her lap. Shunsui smiled at her and her took a sip of the tea sitting on the table that was still quite warm, placing the cup down before he tipped his head, "There's no need to be nervous Nanao. It's just me. Just… talk to me like you would din the office." he said, Nanao chuckling softly as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't think you'd want me telling you to do paperwork in the middle of dinner." she said quietly, making Shunsui laugh brightly as he leaned back, propping himself up on one of his large hands.

"Well besides that. Tell me some of your hobbies. Like what you do when you're not at the division… or looking after me." he quickly added since he figured she'd point that out to him. Not that he minded. He loved when his Nanao-chan took care of him.

Figuring he wouldn't rest until he got an answer from her, she sighed softly as she thought and then she looked over at him, "Well… I like reading… which I guess you already knew that since I read from time to time, if I have time in the office… I'm a morning person… obviously… uh…" she trailed off, blushing a little bit and getting a little flustered, "I… I'm not really good at describing myself…" she murmured softly, her hands fiddling all the more with her obi as she looked to her lap, "I like dancing…" she continued, looking up at him to see he had a raised eyebrow.

"Dancing? I never knew that. What kind of dancing?" he asked her. This was good. Hopefully she'd open up a little more and relax a little more. She was like a flower that needed to bloom. She just needed a little tender loving care and someone to urge it out of her.

"Like… ballroom dancing I guess. Slow dancing… I like the waltz… The Women's Association had a dance instructor come one day to our meetings and she taught us how to waltz and how to tango. It was really fun. Then of course Rangiku brought out the sake and Yachiru went for snacks and the class just kind of dwindled. But myself, Rukia, Momo and Captain Unohana wanted to keep learning so we took the class outside while everyone else ate." she said, realizing she was rambling and she cleared her throat quickly, "S-sorry. I didn't realize I was rambling." she said, rubbing her arm slowly with am embarrassed smile.

He waved his hand dismissively and then gave her that same old warm, handsome smile, "It's okay. I like when you ramble. Especially when it's about something you love." Nanao felt her cheeks growing warmer at what he said, "What else do you like to do? Any particular spots you like to frequent?" he asked next.

She smiled once more, such a pretty smile, and she gave a nod, "There is this little coffee shop in the Living World. Sometimes on the weekends I'll go and just be by myself. Relax a little, enjoy some tea while reading my favorite book." he hummed quietly and tipped his head as he gave her a curious look.

"And what is your favorite book?" he asked her, thanking the waiter when their first course was served, picking up his chopsticks to start pulling apart the delicate food prepared for them.

"It's a book called The Phantom of the Opera. It's about this woman named Christine who aspires to be an Opera singer in an opera house in Paris. It's haunted by this man known as The Phantom and this man falls in love with her and tries to make her his. It's beautifully tragic because she chooses another man in the end." she said with a bit of a dreamy sigh, "It's not a typical classical book but… it's one of my favorites…" she said between bites of the first course. By now she was quite relaxed and her appetite even returned and now she was quite hungry.

"It sounds like you though… I remember when you were fairly new to the division, an adult but still new… you'd sneak to the Division library late at night to read in one of the corners. I think you said that you liked the smell of books around you as you read… that's what I remember you telling me one night when I found you reading." he said, her eyes widening slightly as the memory came back to her.

"Y-yeah… I do remember that… I'd fallen asleep while reading and you woke me up." she murmured, Shunsui snapping his fingers as he smiled.

"That's right. I offered to carry you back to your room but you threatened to hit me with the book." he teased, both of them chuckling as they finished up the first course and were soon served the second course.

Nanao cleaned off her chopsticks before starting on the second dish served to them, "So… what hobbies do you enjoy Captain? I mean… besides drinking and what comes with that?" she asked, a hint of a smirk on her face before it disappeared so she could take a bite of her food.

He tapped his chopsticks against his chin before grabbing a piece of the fish on the small plate, "Well, I like to go on walks at night. Go through the gardens at my home. I go visit Jushiro for tea often times. Sometimes he invites Retsu to join us as well and we talk. I mean, you know the thing I like to do most is nap and there's not much more to that really." he told her with a soft laugh, "I do like camping though… Just being outdoors really." she nodded, smirking a little as she ate her meal.

"Heh, I know… it's where you usually nap. On the roof or under a tree." she teased him, Shunsui smiling unapologetically as he shrugged his shoulders, "Have you ever thought about getting a cat? I think you might have it beat on hours of sleep you get per day." she continued to tease, making him pout. She had to admit, his pout was rather cute now that she got a good look at it. She'd noticed quite a few things actually. Being in a more intimate setting enjoying dinner and talking gave her a chance to really study his features. She noticed little things really. Little things that one might not pay attention to. Like how he styled his hair, nicely combed back despite being so curly. He always had those same two hair pins at the base of his ponytail, curious as to where he got them since they seemed to be very special to him. She noticed the angle of his nose and the way he always wore that tender smile. How his eyes always had a happy glimmer in them. She'd never paid attention to how grey they were. They were grey all the way around that slowly bled to brown around the pupils. Her eyes subconsciously traced the shaped of the scruff on his chin, cheeks and right beneath his nose. She had to say, that look was far better than the one he had one hundred years prior. He just looked weird with it not covering his chin. It made him look… manlier now in a way. More rugged.

She didn't realize she was staring at him until something was waved in front of her and her peripheral vision noticed it. She blinked and shook her head, looking at him with a wide eyed expression, "You okay? You stopped eating." he said, Nanao quickly starting to eat again with a heavy blush on her cheeks.

"Sorry…! Just… got distracted is all. I let my mind wander." she quickly said, hoping he wouldn't realize that she was just blankly staring at him. He smiled at her and continued to eat himself and the third course was served which was a variety of sashimi, Nanao licking her lips. It was just getting better and better. She hoped the dessert would be fresh fruit of some sort. Maybe a melon or watermelon, or even a papaya. The two chatted a little more throughout the rest of their dinner and after the fruit was served for dessert and they both had their fill, Shunsui paid the bill and then he thanked Nanao out, both thanking the host for a wonderful dinner, "That was so delicious. I will definitely be returning there." she said as they left, her stomach full as well as her mind that had several thoughts stirring and swirling inside it.

He looked down at her with a smile as he gave a nod, "I'm glad you like it. My family loved going there from time to time. It's small but it's perfect for a family to get together or in our case a nice private dinner date." he said as he tucked his hands into his pockets, just walking around the district with her as the sun began to set. He checked the time and he hummed softly, "It's nearly seven. We can start walking back to your home if you'd like." he offered her, Nanao silently nodding and they turned to leave the district. The fireflies slowly grew active and the more the sun set the more they began to flash their lights, "Did you have fun?" he asked her out of the blue, Nanao looking to him as she smiled.

"I… did… I had a very lovely time. It was… much different than I expected it would be but… I don't mind that in the least." she said with a smile, that making Shunsui both relieved and happy at the same time, "I… have to admit I was very… skeptical on what to expect… I half expected to be taken to a bar or something. But I really enjoyed it." she murmured, blushing lightly at her admission. She couldn't fight the blushes that kept appearing on her cheeks. She'd never really been in a dating scenario like this and… well… she rather liked it.

"I'm very glad to hear that. I wanted to do something we'd both enjoy. I figured a quiet evening out would be best. That way we could have some privacy and actually talk, get to know one another. Like… I didn't know how such simple things could make my Nanao-chan blush~" he mused, half teasing really just to see if that would get her flustered again and sure enough it did. Her cheeks grew rosy but she quickly looked away with a cute little mumble, "I had fun to. I knew I would though. You're always one who could carry a conversation." he said, Nanao nodding slightly as she cleared her throat a little bit. All too soon her home was in sight and he walked her up to her door, Nanao unlocking it and opening it before Shunsui tipped his head, "Perhaps~ Nanao-chan might make this a weekly deal~? Since it worked out so well tonight?" he asked her. She could hear the hope in his voice and the glimmer in his eyes didn't help. Not her anyways. She nipped on her lip, something he quite enjoyed now, and then she chuckled.

"We'll see… good night captain." she said, Shunsui reaching out to take her hand to quickly give it a kiss before she could pull it away and he gave her one of his big signature grins.

"Good night my lovely Nanao-chan~ Sleep well and I'll see you next time." he said to her, waiting for her to close and lock the door behind her before he disappeared into a shunpo to go to his own home. Inside, Nanao was leaning against the door, still nipping on her lip as her heart raced in her chest. She reached up to place her hand over her heart, looking down at it as she took deep, steady breaths.

Shunsui arrived at his home right as the sun finished setting and the moon began to rise, the crickets chirping peacefully around his gardens as he walked along his porch. He made his way inside and to his room where he changed into a pair of sleeper pants, letting his hair down as he passed the chest of drawers where he could lay his hair pins and tie down in their usual place. Once he had done his night time routine he slid into bed, blinking when he heard his phone chime and light up on the bedside table. He reached over and took it, turning it on to look at the message that was sent from Nanao. He propped himself up on an elbow and smiled softly as he read the single word she sent him.

"Yes."

* * *

 **And there you have it! Their first date! :) I hope I did a good job at getting their personalities right. It won't be perfect but I'm doing my best. Let me know what you think. In our reviews please let me know what you think would be good date ideas for the two! I'm always up to listen to ideas and write them out 9given permission of course). But yeah. :) I have a little list going and I cant definitely add to it. :)**

 **Also! I had a review asking where in the Bleach timeline this takes place. This takes place after Aizen's war and before the 1000 Year Blood Arc. To be honest, I thought the Quincy war arc was bullshit so this is taking place before then around the spring/early summer. Kind of like a filler arc feel I guess? But yeah. Hope that answers the question. :)**

 **Remember! Please review and give me date ideas! I'd love to hear them! Until next time!**

 **Byakuya'sGirl90210**


	3. The Following Days- The Second Date

**The Following Days  
** **Second Date**

The following Monday Shunsui slowly made his way into the barracks, yawning softly as he trudged to his office. Though he was sleepy he had a bit of a smile on his face. Not the typical smile he usually held. This one actually made him look to be excited to be up in the morning. That was certainly odd for him to be excited to be up early that morning. He stopped in front of his office door and he smiled a little bit. He could sense her reatsu in the office. _Early as she always is._ He thought as he opened the door, walking inside to see his busy bee of a lieutenant already at work on her papers, "Good morning Nanao-chan~" he greeted her in a sing song voice. Nanao looked up at him and gave him the faintest of smiles as she tipped her head to him in a greeting.

"Good morning captain. You're in a rather chirpy mood this morning." she said as she watched him walk over to his desk to sit down, looking over at his stack of papers to start off that week's work. He gave her his ever friendly smile and he tipped his head.

"How can I not be when I get to sit in the same room as the lovely lady I took out to dinner?" he asked her, Nanao rolling her eyes as she turned her gaze back to her papers that she was working on. She heard him speak again and she sighed silently, shaking her head before looking back up at him, "Sooooo~ Is the wager still going on? You did send me that text after I dropped you off at home~" he informed her, Nanao gripping the pen a little tighter as she blushed faintly.

Clearing her throat, she placed her pen down and she sat up in her seat, pushing her glasses up on her nose, "I did send you that text. As you can see there is a considerable amount of work to be done this week as well. But, I will hold true to my wager from last week. If you can complete this week's work by Thursday then I will let you take me somewhere else Friday evening." she said to him, his smile turning into a grin and before her eyes she saw him get to work. He looked way too overenthusiastic about it but it was rather funny. Nanao had a few questions she wanted to ask him but at the same time she didn't want to make the work day awkward so she just kept her mouth shut about them for the moment.

"Ah-haa~ I knew my Nanao-chan couldn't resist~ I'll have to think of something that can top our dinner~" he mused, ideas instantly running through the Casanova's head as he imagined what adventures he could take Nanao on next.

She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow, "If you don't get started on your work then there won't be an outing on Friday." she reminded him, making him chuckle as he picked up his pen to continue working on the papers placed on his desk when she came in earlier. She watched him for a few minutes after he fell silent, shifting through the papers and signing whatever lines needed his signature. A minute or two later she heard him humming a tune softly to himself. that small but goofy grin still on his face. With a little smile on her own face she got back to her own work, content with the silence that filled the room.

* * *

About an hour or so later she finished her own papers and she placed them aside, glancing to Shunsui's desk where she saw he had finished maybe half of his papers finished. She stood up and she placed her neat pile of papers in the out tray and straightened up her uniform, "I'm going to go ahead and take my lunch sir. I'll be back in an hour or so." she told him, Shunsui pouting at her.

"You're gonna leave me all alone in here?" he asked her in a whining sing song voice. She rolled her eyes and she placed a hand on her hip as she looked at him.

"What? Do you need a babysitter captain? I won't be gone for more than an hour. Just keep working on your work and I'll be back. I'll even bring you food." she said with a smirk before she turned to leave, closing the door behind her. After leaving the barracks she flashed a short distance away until she found herself in front of the Tenth Division. She made her way into the division and she headed down the halls, finding Rangiku's office before she knocked on the door, "Rangiku? It's me." she said, loud enough for it to travel inside. She heard a 'Come in~' and Nanao opened the door, finding Rangiku reclining on the couch with her feet propped up.

When she saw it was Nanao she instantly grinned and jumped up, "Nanao! Ohhh come in come in! You promised a story and I'm expecting a story!" she exclaimed as she nearly dragged the poor lieutenant to the couch that she was previously sitting on, "So! Tell me all about it. Was he nice? Was it romantic? Did he kiss you? Di-" she began to Nanao quickly put her hand on Rangiku's mouth to silence her, Rangiku blinking her big blue eyes as she settled down.

Once she knew that Rangiku was listening she retracted her hand and settled both in her lap, "Friday night was… actually very enjoyable. He took me to the First District to this little restaurant that barely had enough seats for ten people. In… fact he bought the place out for the night… so it was just us. We had a Kaiseki dinner and just… talked. It was actually quite nice. I learned a lot about him that I never knew before. After dinner he walked me home and then we said goodnight. He made sure I was inside before he left." she said as she leaned against the arm rest of the couch. Rangiku just had a smirk on her face as she looked at her, her head slightly tipped.

"Ohhh~? You enjoyed it then? That's good. I didn't know how good Captain Kyouraku would be at normal conversation. Did he act like a pervert? Say anything inappropriate?" she asked next, Nanao shaking her head.

"No. I gave him the rules I penned out on his desk and he actually signed it and gave it back. He kissed my hand once or twice but that was it." Rangiku giggled softly and scooted a little closer to her as her grin broadened. She could tell Rangiku wanted juicy details but there really weren't any to give.

"Uh-huh… Soooo~ You gonna go out with him again?" Ah, there was the question Nanao was waiting for. She cleared her throat softly and blushed faintly, Rangiku giggling as she bounced on the couch, "You did! You so did! You have the hots for your captain~" she sang with a grin, Nanao only blushing more.

"T-that's not it! It's just nice not having to do his share of the paperwork so… I agreed that if he got this week's work done then on Friday we could go on another outing. And I don't have the hots for him Rangiku. That's completely unprofessional." she defended, Rangiku crossing her arms over her chest as she raised an eyebrow with a skeptical look.

"Yet you're calling these outings 'dates' around him though? Are they dates or outings?" she asked her, Nanao opening her mouth to reply but Rangiku shook her head, holding up a finger, "I'd be careful though Nanao… DO you know if Captain Kyouraku is serious about these dates/outings? He could actually really want to date you." she said in a more serious tone, Nanao looking at her with slightly widened eyes before she looked away with a sigh.

Her fingers began to fiddle with her sash and her shoulders gave a little shrug, "I… don't know Rangiku. You know how he flirts… He's been 'chasing' me for years but in the meantime he's also been chasing other women…" she said, her voice dropping to a softer tone, "I'm not his type anyways… I don't know why he'd be interested in me. I'm boring." she said with a small frown, Rangiku chuckling as she waved her hand dismissively.

"You aren't boring Nanao. A little too much work and no play, but you can have fun. I've seen you have fun. You just have your own ways of having fun." she said as she propped an elbow on the back of the couch, crossing one leg over the other as she looked at her downcast friend, "Look Nanao, if he's not interested, do you think he would have asked you out for a second date? Do you think he would have stayed up at all hours the first time to get his papers done to win the wager? Don't sell yourself short."

She chuckled softly and gave a hint of a smile, "But I am short. at least compared to him. He's gotta be at least a foot taller than me. Besides… he hasn't even finished today's work so he might not even finish it this week. He might just decide he doesn't care and right back to the way he was." Rangiku smirked at her and she tipped her head with a curious look.

"And if he does finish his work?" she asked her, Nanao shifting her gaze back to Rangiku as her fingers fiddled with her obi all the more.

"Guess we have a date on Friday then." she answered, making Rangiku squeal as she began to muse about all the different dates Shunsui might take her on. This was going to be a longer lunch than she anticipated.

* * *

 **THURSDAY**

The end of the work day was nearing at the Eighth Squad, Nanao walking around the barracks to get some loose ends tied. Itonly took around 45 minutes or so before she returned to her shared office where she saw Shunsui finishing up the last few pages of his own paperwork. She smirked and checked the clock on the wall, "You've got two minutes. Better hurry." she said with a grin, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall nearby to watch him shuffle through the papers.

He glanced up at her and he smirked, placing the paper he just signed into the out tray and then he quickly took the last one, "I only have one more and all it needs is my signature~ Once it's signed then I get another date with my lovely Nanao-chan~" he chimed in a merry voice as he took his pen to the page, signing his name where it required his signature and then he lifted it over the tray, letting the page fall into the out tray right as the second hand ticked and the clock chimed four o'clock. He gave her a victorious grin and it made her sigh but chuckle at the same time.

"Guess you win the wager again captain. Like last week, after work you can take me on an outing of your choice." she said with an affirmative nod, Shunsui standing up with his stack of papers in his hands. Nanao went over to collect the papers and then her own and she held them to her chest, "I'll go take these to the mail room so they can be taken out immediately. I'll see you tomorrow captain." she said, giving him a little bow before she made her way out of the office and towards the mail room. Shunsui peeked out of his office to watch her walk away and soon another familiar face turned the corner. Shunsui smiled as Jushiro Ukitake came walking down the hall, wearing his ever charming smile and his hands tucked in his sleeves.

"Well hello there Jushiro. How are you on this fine day?" he asked, Jushiro raising his eyebrow as his smile turned into a little smirk.

"I'm as well as I can be. I came by to ask if you wanted to come by my home for a cup of tea and have a little chat." he said, Shunsui nodding as he closed the door to his office and walked over to Jushiro to start walking out of the office with him.

"That sounds good. I could go for a cup of tea." he said, tucking his own hands into his pockets, "Nanao is going on another date with me tomorrow." he told him nonchalantly as they walked down the pathways that winded down through the Sereitei until they led into the Rukongai. Soon they reached Ugendo where Jushiro went and prepared them some tea, meeting Shunsui at their usual spot in the gardens where they enjoyed talking.

After sipping on the tea, Jushiro leaned back a bit and he looked over at his friend, "So, she agreed for a second date?" he asked, Shunsui nodding with a smile as he lifted the cup to his lips to take a drink.

"She did. I completed my paperwork for this week so she's honouring her promise like the loyal woman she is." he said, leaning against the tree trunk as he pulled a knee up slightly, propping his cup on it, "I think I have an idea on where to take her next. I might need a little help planning it but I figured I could find some help." he mused, Jushiro glancing over to him to see him flashing that smile that told him exactly what he was wondering.

Chuckling, the white haired man shook his head and took a long draw of his tea, letting the warm liquid sooth his throat before he spoke, "Alright, so what's your idea for a date this time? You took her to dinner, but I'm sure you can think of a ton of other things to do for a date. You're you. You're always taking women out on dates." he said but Shunsui shook his head, giving Jushiro a little smile.

"Yeah… but Nanao-chan is special…you know that." he murmured quietly, swirling the tea around in his cup as his brownish grey eyes looked into the dark liquid that sloshed around. Jushiro studied his features for a while before he sighed softly and he placed his cup down on the grass they were sitting on. He smirked to his question on where he was taking her and he lifted a finger, "Ahh~ That you'll have to wait until after~" he said, Jushiro pouting lightly before he hummed and smiled faintly at him.

"You really love her…" he murmured, Shunsui giving a little nod as he chuckled quietly. He never really imagined himself actually settling down. He was always the one who rebelled, who didn't want to settle for the norm. That's how he ended up at the Academy and into the Gotei 13. He liked going to parties, get togethers and social scenes where the booze and women were a plenty. But after a few recent years something changed inside him. A certain lieutenant with raven hair and dark blue eyes who wasn't afraid to smack him with a book or a fan. The lieutenant who, despite all his flirting and inappropriate behaviour, stayed by his side and made his Division thrive, who never left his side if he found himself in the 4th needing treatment. Hell, she cried in the hallway during that incident with Hitsugaya and Kusaka. At least that's what Jushiro told him.

Shunsui laughed softly at himself before he let out a breath, "Pathetic isn't it? This old man acting like I am… She's probably just doing this just to get me to do my paperwork on time for once. But… even if that's the extent of it… I'll take what she gives me, even if it's not a lot." he said, finishing his tea before he put the cup down a little ways from him.

Jushiro hummed quietly and he tucked a lock of his white hair behind his ear, "You never know… perhaps… she feels the same but never knew how to approach it. You know how she overthinks situations. She probably refuted your advances because they were so bold and flirtatious. Some women still like the concept of courting Shunsui. Nanao seems like the one who would like to take things slow. Just… go her pace." he suggested with a small smile. In truth he thought it could go either way. Shunsui was one to go hard and fast and if he wasn't careful he could spook Nanao.

Shusui's eyes flickered to Jushiro who was offering him a small smile and he gave him a small one in return, "Slow and steady wins the race right?" he asked, Jushiro nodding to him.

"Exactly my friend."

* * *

 **FRIDAY AFTERNOON**

Nanao was pacing a bit around her small home, wondering where her captain would sweep her away this time. She glanced over to her small eating area where the vase with a now dried rose was still sitting in the middle, the red ribbing still tied in a pretty bow on the stem. Would he send another rise this time? She didn't have to wonder much longer because just a few moments later there was another knock on the door. Like last week, by the time she opened the front door whomever it was was now gone and there was a white envelope on the door mat. She bent down to pick it up and opened it, blinking when she pulled out what looked to be a book cover, "A book cover…?" she murmured softly, sitting down to flip it open.

 _Thought we'd go the the Living World tonight. Something causal to wear is fine. If you don't have an outfit, we can go get you one. More fun to have right?_

 _Shunsui_

She chuckled softly as she closed the book cover, looking at it as she tipped her head, "What in the world could this mean…" she murmured softly, placing the book cover on the table beside the vase before heading upstairs to get ready. She put on a flow black skirt that went down to her knees, picking out a soft green shirt to go with it. She didn't have many clothes from the World of the Living but she coordinated them well so she could make many outfits from just a few pieces of clothing. She slipped on a pair of black flats and fixed her hair into a ponytail rather than a bun, heading back to the den where she'd wait on Shunsui to arrive. Like clockwork, he arrived an hour after the note appeared just like last week and she waited a moment to open the door. Couldn't look like she was too eager right? When she opened the door he'd be standing there, sporting a pair of dark grey pants and a light blue shirt as well as a matching grey jacket. He also had on a pair of suspenders that he was actually able to pull off rather well. His hair was in its usual ponytail with the hair pins tucked into the base, "Good afternoon." she said to him, a light blush appearing on her cheeks as she looked him over. Out of his uniform the man could clean up rather well. Shunsui gave a little bow before smiling at her.

"Good evening Nanao-chan~ Are you ready to go?" he asked her curiously, Nanao nodding as she locked her front door behind her, "Good! I'm very excited to take you to this special place I found. I know for a fact you'll love it." he mused, making her raise an inquisitive eyebrow as she looked up to the tall man standing beside her.

"Oh? What makes you so sure?" she asked him curiously, Shunsui just grinning as he led her to the Senkaimon.

* * *

They made idle conversation as they made their way through the Senkaimon and into the World of the Living. Shunsui made arrangements with Kisuke to provide them gigsais which they were now wearing. He guided her down some streets until turning a corner, Nanao looking up at the grand building that was directly in front of them across the street. Her eyes widened behind her glasses and a soft gasp left her parting lips. Right in front of her was a grand book store, the building designed like an Edo-period palace, "What is this place?" she asked in awe, not breaking her gaze on it to even look at Shunsui who just smiled.

"This is an old book store. It carries rare books in many different languages. I've heard that it even carries first editions on occasion. I thought you'd like to visit." he said, not able to say anything else because before he knew it she was taking hold of his hand and was practically dragging him across the street, making him laugh softly. Luckily the street they were crossing had the pedestrian signal on giving them the OK to cross. Nando's flats made soft tapping noises as she went up the stairs and stopped just short of the grand double doors. She hadn't realized it but she still had a grip on his hand. He didn't mind it. Not one bit. He liked it really. He reluctantly released her hand however to open the door for her and she slowly walked inside, keeping that deer in headlights look as she looked around her.

"Oh… my gods…" she whispered softly as she looked around at all the books. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with shelves, all lined with books of all shapes, sizes, colors and ages. Most of the book cases had sliding ladders to get the hard to reach books that were up at the top. There were even spiral staircases that led to a second level of books. One corner had a reading nook and another had a place to buy beverages and snacks to enjoy while reading.

Shunsui followed behind her with a smile on his face, just enjoying her reaction to everything. She took a long, deep breath, taking in the scent of the books. Ever the bookworm, she loved the smell of books. New, old it didn't matter. Every time she read a book she would flip through the pages and smell it, "What do you think?" he asked her as he stood beside her and she finally broke her age from the wonderland around her to look at Shunsui, a grin on her face.

"What do I think? How come I never knew of this place before?! It's incredible! I could get lost in here for hours…" she said, blushing softly when she realized she must have sounded way too excited about books, "I… I won't take long though." she said, knowing he probably didn't want to stay long but Shunsui shook his head and he smiled at her.

"Take your time Nanao-chan. I brought you here so you could enjoy yourself and if that means getting lost in here for hours, then I'm more than happy to get lost with you." he told her, Nanao's eyes widening slightly before she smiled and even let out an excited giggle before instantly turning tail and rushing in head first to go look at what books waited to be found by her eagle eye. He just chuckled and followed behind her, tucking his hands into his pockets as he watched her getting excited. On the way in he grabbed a basket, knowing full well that they wouldn't be leaving without a pile of books so he would be prepared and carry around her selections like a good boy. He also figured he could secretly discover more about his Nanao-chan by which books she picked out. Nanao scoured the aisles and the many bookshelves, running her finger along every spine of every book to read the title, pulling out ones she seemed interested in to inspect the cover, read over the synopsis located on the back or inside flap of the book before deciding whether she wanted it or not. She climbed the ladders and Shunsui even moved the ladder for her so she could continuously look through the top shelves for books, occasionally dropping one down for him to place into the basket. She was diligent in her search, much like she was when she did her paperwork at the division. She was focused, quiet and all attention was on the books and their contents. She picked out adventure novels, romances, comedies, even books of poetry and dramas. She picked out works by Shakespeare, Homer and even got some history novels.

After spending several hours pillaging the first floor and the second floor, Nanao had accumulated several baskets of books that were all waiting at the front desk to be purchased. Her eyes were slightly wide and she had a heavy blush on her cheeks when she saw she had not one, not two but six baskets filled with books, "I…. didn't realize I'd gotten so many…" she said, starting to look through the baskets to take some out as if she were going to put some away. Shunsui smiled at her as he waved his hand, the other reaching out to put the books she took out back into the basket.

"It's no problem. We can have them delivered to Mr. Urahara's shop and we'll figure out a way to get them home." he said, walking to the desk to pull out his wallet, Nanao even more shocked as he pulled out cash.

"C-captain! You don't have to buy me all these books! I'm more than happy to pay!" she said, thinking that was going to be the plan in the first place but Shunsui wasn't having placed the money down on the counter before he glanced back at her and he winked.

"Come now lovely Nanao-chan~ You never let me spoil you. I can cover this. If you wanna pout about it then you can buy dinner this time~" he teased, Nanao actually considering it which made him laugh when he saw that expression on her face, "I'm kidding on that too Nanao. I'm taking you out, so I'm gonna pay." he said to her, then he turned his attention to the employee who was putting the books into boxes, "Also, I had ordered something a few days ago. It should be in. Here's the info." he said to him, the man taking the card to read it before he disappeared into the back, soon coming out with something wrapped in brown paper. Nanao looked at Shunsui who handed her the parcel, "I had to pull some strings, but I have a feeling this will be your favorite." he said, Nanao slowly unwrapping the parcel and when she saw the contents a hand went to her mouth and she gasped. It was in French, but she knew exactly what this was.

"Le fantôme de l'opéra….?" she murmured quietly, carefully opening the cover to look at the date and that's when her eyes really grew wide, "First edition…" she whispered, her fingers slowly sliding down along the page, "You found a first edition…?" she asked him, looking up at Shunsui who was just grinning proudly, "I… I don't even know what to say…" she said, hugging the book to her chest as if it were going to disappear on her.

He walked over to her and he kissed her forehead, getting her adorably flustered, "Just a thank you would suffice. Just seeing your reaction is perfect enough." he said, though he became quite shocked when she was suddenly throwing her arms around his shoulders in a hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" she squealed in delight, Shunsui chuckling as he hugged her back, then she pulled back to look at the book again, "First edition in the mother tongue… I didn't even think first editions still existed…" she murmured, opting to keep the book with her when the employee offered to put it with the others. Once the final purchases were made the books were sent to Urahara's and Nanao reluctantly left the book store with Shunsui who was very content and happy knowing how satisfied Nanao was. When they left, Nanao looked around, seeing that it was now night, "Wow… how long were we in there?" she asked him, Shunsui checking his watch.

"Close to four hours. And I planned for that. I wanted you to have full freedom in there. I knew there would be no way you could get through all those books in less than two hours." he teased, humming as they crossed the street, "Though I am pretty hungry now. Are you game for some sushi somewhere?" he asked, thinking something more simple for dinner would do this time.

She nodded and gave him a smile, still holding the book close to her chest, now one of her most prized possessions, "Thank you… I really loved that place…" she said, thinking for a moment before nodding, "Sushi sounds great. I actually know a place a few blocks down that way we can go to. They have amazing food." she suggested, Shunsui happily agreeing to it and together they made their way to the sushi bar. The walk was a rather nice one. Despite it being night, it was still rather warm and there was a nice breeze blowing past them. He could catch a hint of her perfume. It was light, a sweet scent that suited her. It internally made him happy that she wore perfume just for him. She'd never worn it at the office so he could definitely smell it on her now. After turning down a few blocks he saw the sign for sushi and figured that was the place she was talking about. Sure enough, she walked towards the door, reaching for it to open it but Shunsui beat her to it and opened it for her. She thanked him with a little smile and he bowed his head to her in a silent 'You're welcome" and then they were taken to a table and given two menus to look over. She nibbled on her lip as she looked at the choices, glancing up at Shunsui to see him looking at her with a smile, making her blush, "W-what?" she asked softly.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I just enjoy seeing you happy, relaxed. My only question is if you have enough shelving to house all those new books?" he asked, making her clear her throat shyly which only made him smile more, "I'd be happy to build you some if you need me too~" he offered her, making her look at him with a curious look.

"You can build shelves captain?" she asked him, her captain winking at her.

"I'm very good with my hands Nanao. They can do many, many things." he said, something about the way he said that making her get incredibly flustered as she turned red as a tomato, hiding behind her menu. The waitress came over and took their drink orders, Nanao ordering just a water and Shusui ordered one as well. He was in the mood for sake but he didn't want to displease Nanao so he would hold off for now and be a good boy, "All teasing aside, I really am good with my hands when it comes to building things." he said, Nanao believing that. He looked at the menu a few moments longer before deciding what he wanted and once Nanao knew as well they called the waitress back over and ordered their meals, "So~ What's your favorite color?" he asked randomly as they waited for their food, Nanao looking to him as she took a sip of her water.

"My favorite color? Um… I guess purple… Like an Iris." she answered him, Shunsui making a mental note of it, "What about yours? I'd assume pink considering you have a lot of pink things, like the lady's kimono you wear over your haori." she mused, Shunsui chuckling softly as he pushed his straw around in his glass with his finger.

"I like pink. It's not my favorite but it is a pretty color. I think I like green the most." he said, Nanao raising an eyebrow.

"Is that really your favorite color or are you saying that because it happens to be the color shirt I'm wearing?" she asked him, making him laugh softly.

"Perhaps both. I like a darker green but that is a very lovely color on you." he complimented, Nanao smiling faintly as her hands smoothed down her shirt a bit. They were soon interrupted by the waitress who had their plates of food, placing them down in front of them before she gave them a pair of chopsticks. They both thanked her and then their eyes went to their food. Nanao got her usual role with crab, cream cheese and cucumber while Shunsui got a more adventurous one with a type of fish, avocado and cucumber and was topped with what looked like crab and eel sauce, "Looks delicious~ I'm willing to share if you are." he said, offering a few pieces of his if she wanted to try it and she did the same.

"Sure. I'm interested in what yours tastes like." she said, taking one of his pieces to try, humming as all the different flavors mixed and she shrugged her shoulders, "It's definitely unique. I think I like mine much more but that's not bad." she said with a chuckle, Shunsui trying a piece of hers which tasted quite delicious actually. He kind of wanted to order another roll like hers for himself, and after getting halfway through his he did just that. He quickly realized one roll wasn't going to fill him up so he thought he'd go with the roll Nanao ordered as his second round of sushi. After getting their fill, despite Nanao's displeasure Shunsui took care of the bill and then the two set off for Urahara's shop so they could return the gigais they'd borrowed. She was quiet for a few moments, rubbing her arms with her hands. Now it was getting a little chillier and she'd forgotten to grab her cardigan on the way out. Nanao blinked when she felt something warm being draped over her shoulders and when she looked up she noticed Shunsui was putting his jacket over her shoulders and arms, warmth instantly covering her and making the chills go away, "Thank you…" she murmured shyly, pulling the jacket around her to keep the warmth sealed inside. Along with the warmth she could pick up his scent. It was a spicy musk that had a hint of sake and a hint of sweetness to it. Like cinnamon, "Thank you… for this entire evening… I… really loved the bookstore." she said, Shunsui smiling as he tucked his hands into his pockets, rounding the corner to the street that would eventually lead them back to Urahara's shop.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I had a lot of fun just watching you get so excited over books." he said, having enjoyed it a lot actually. seeing her in her element, watching her light up as she read each book title and ran her delicate fingers over each binding. Each book was different and unique to her and he enjoyed watching her inspect each and every one to see which met her standards for literature. How she flipped through the pages and lifted them to her nose to smell them, hearing the delighted little sighs that would follow each sniff. His Nanao-chan was certainly unique and that's what he loved most. He almost hated when they finally arrived back at Urahara's and she gave him his jacket back, going to change out of her gigai. Kisuke had taken care of her books and according to him some of her friends (including Rangiku) came to collect them and they were waiting for her at her home. Shunsui thanked him for his help and opened the Senkaimon when Nanao joined him back downstairs, the pair heading through the Dongai that led to the Sereitei, "I almost wish this evening wouldn't end." he commented softly as they strolled to Nanao's home where he could help her get her books inside and make sure she safely got inside as well.

"It was really fun… I could have stayed so much longer in that book store." she said, Shunsui giving her a smile as they walked up to her porch.

"Then we'll go back. Most definitely. Just tell me when and we can go." he told her, letting her unlock the doors and he carried the many boxes of books inside for her and then he headed back out, taking her hand to kiss the back of it like he did the last time, "Thank you for joining me again." he said quietly, Nanao swallowing lightly as he gazed at her with those soft eyes of his, slowly pulling her hand back.

"Thank you for the evening… And thank you for letting me borrow your jacket. I… guess I'll see you at work." she said and he gave a slight nod, his smile growing a little bit.

"Of course Nanao-chan. Sleep well tonight." he said before he flashed away, Nanao slowly closing the door behind her. She locked it and glanced to the many boxes of books, picking up the special copy he'd bought for her and it made her smile softly, her heart skipping a beat as she fan her fingers along the gold engraved letters of the title. It was definitely going to be hard to get some sleep that night.

* * *

Tada! There you have it~ Another chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one, especially the book store scene. A friend suggested it to me and I was like AH PERFECT. So, this is what became of that idea! But I need more! I won't tell you what I have already. Then that would ruin the element of surprise wouldn't it? Anyways~ Please drop a review if you have the chance! I really appreciate feed back. Shunsui and Nanao are pretty much my OTP. I just love them together. :3 So! Let me know what you think and let me know i you have any ideas for future dates! The more ideas, the more chapters there will be~ :) Until then!

Byakuya'sGirl90210


	4. Festival- The Third Date

**Festival- The Third Date**

Nanao took a deep breath as she sat at her table in the small kitchen of her home, her hands holding a cup of her favorite morning tea. The steam slowly rose from the cup as it cooled, Nanao sighing as she leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes as she recalled what happened the previous evening. She still had her boxes of books in the den, waiting to be put on shelves that were already bursting at the seams. Before she knew it a little smile graced her lips. So far she hadn't been disappointed in the least about the two dates she'd been taken on by her captain. Though she had to say that last night was definitely a night she'd never forget. She took a sip of her tea before she got up and walked over to the boxes of books, reaching down to pull them out one by one so she could organize them into their proper categories and genres. Her hands stopped when she spotted that one special book he had personally called to have saved for her. She slowly took it out, running her fingers along the cover. _He went out of his way to make sure they had this... A first edition..._ she thought to herself, nipping her lip that was still curved into a smile. She leaned back against the side of the chair, pulling her knees up as she opened the book to look at the contents. She couldn't read or speak French but it just made it all the more special to her. She held the book against her chest and she closed her eyes, the excitement bubbling back inside her. She soaked it in for a minute or two before she got back to work, organizing the books before she got up and she looked at her shelves. Humming quietly, she leaned against the chair and tapped her chin with a finger, "He was right... I really don't have room here for all these books..." She murmured to herself, glancing to the counter in the kitchen where her phone was resting. After debating for a few moments she finally walked over and picked up the device, flipping it open and dialing the number before she got cold feet.

It rang for a few moments before it clicked and she raised an eyebrow at the greeting, "Mnnn Nanao-chan? Good morning... What can I do for you?" He asked her, his voice groggy and somewhat deeper which... Actually sounded quite sexy. She shook her head of the thoughts and she cleared her throat softly.

"I'm sorry captain... I didn't mean to wake you. I guess I didn't realize what time it was." She said apologetically as she looked to the clock on the wall which read a few minutes passed 8 AM, "Shall I call you back?" She asked as she heard him yawn on the other end.

"It depends on what my lovely Nanao-chan desires of me. I'm pretty sure today is Saturday and the division has that day off so it can't be paperwork." He said, his tone teasing a little bit which made her smile.

"Well... It has to do with the books you bought me... You were right, surprisingly. I've been organizing them and... I've come to realize that I don't have the shelves with the proper space needed to house all of them... So... I was thinking since you said you were good with your hands-"

"I am good with my hands~" he said before she could finish. She could hear the naughty tone in his voice and it had that familiar heat rushing to her cheeks. She took a silent breath to calm herself before she continued.

"I was wondering if you could stop by sometime today and help me assemble some more shelves. I'd need to buy the materials of course but-" she began but Shunsui cut her off before she could continue.

"Ahhhh~? I'd be honored to help my Nanao-chan! Give me about an hour and I'll be there okay?" He asked, Nanao blinking and looking down at herself. She was still in her night robe.

"C-captain I hardly think that's enough time for-"

"Okay see you soon Nanao-chan~" he chimed before hanging up, Nanao sighing as she hung her head.

"The one time Captain Kyouraku is eager to get up in the morning and actually makes /me/ rushed for time." She mumbled softly, but the thought made her smile. He was getting out of bed at 8 AM, when he could have easily slept several more hours, to go see her and help assemble shelves for her books. The books he bought her. She returned to the kitchen and quickly finished her tea and then went upstairs, quickly taking a shower to freshen up. She used a kidou of her own design to dry her hair and she put on a simple pale yellow kimono with a white floral pattern, leaving her hair down since she was still in the comfort of her own home. Whenever she wasn't at the office she usually kept it down.

She'd just finished tidying up when there was a knock on the door and she checked the clock. Just a few minutes to spare within the time frame he'd given her. Nanao went to the door and opened it and there stood Shunsui, wide awake and ready to help Nanao, "Good morning Nanao-chan~ You're looking lovely." He said to her as he walked inside. He was wearing a grey kimono with black cranes along the bottom, wings outstretched in flying patterns, "Though, you're always looking lovely." He added with that handsome smile, looking around him as he rubbed his hands together, "So! Where are the shelves?" He asked her and she looked over at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I told you on the phone. I needed to get the materials. That's why I said later today before you quickly jumped the gun." She said to him as she began to pick up the books from the floor to take them to the kitchen table.

Shunsui smiled as he helped get the books to the table, seeing they were in separate stacks so he made sure not to mess up her organizational work, keeping them all in the specific piles she put them in, "That's not a problem. We can go get them and I can carry them back. What say you to getting breakfast on the way there?" He asked her, Nanao chuckling softly.

"Well, that's not a bad idea seeing as I'll be needing quite a lot of shelves. We can use kidou to lift them and bring them home. As for breakfast, I was actually going to make breakfast after I called you. We can either go out for breakfast or I can cook us something." She offered as she motioned to the kitchen and Shunsui smiled brightly.

"How can I say no to Nanao-Chan's cooking? I bet you are an amazing cook!" He said as he sat down at the table, licking his lips as he looked at her.

She chuckled and shook her head as she turned to head for the fridge, "Very well. What would you like?" She asked as she began to pull out various ingredients for him to see, letting him pick out what he wanted. Once he made his decision she took the items needed and began to fix everything up, steaming some rice and mixing scrambled eggs in while also making some toast and another kettle of tea. Shunsui watched as she shuffled around the kitchen and soon he was up on his feet, watching as she cut up some vegetables to go into the rice. She glanced at him and then she offered him the knife, "Would you like to help?" She asked, Shunsui blinking before he slowly took the knife and he smiled.

"Sure. Anything to help my Nanao-chan~" he chimed as he slowly began to take over the vegetables. He was slow at it but he was able to cut them up the way she showed him, a content look on his face as he put the vegetables in a bowl for her to steam, "Look at that~ Team work in and out of the office." He mused, making her chuckle softly as she stirred the rice while it cooked.

"It would seem so." She said, motioning to the cupboard where she kept her bowls. He opened it and pulled out two, placing them down on the counter where she scooped out their breakfast, giving him a larger portion since he was quite large compared to her.

The two sat down at the table where no books would be in the way and they began to eat, Shunsui eagerly praising her cooking skills which got her a little flustered, "So~ After breakfast we can go get the shelves, then I can put them together here." He said, Nanao nodding as she took a bite of her breakfast. It was so simple yet so delicious. His Nanao-chan was quite the little cook, "Heh, I guess we can consider this a little mini-date~" he mused and Nanao's eyes widened slightly as she blushed, swallowing her current bite before she cleared her throat. It made him chuckle to see how she reacted to certain things he said to her.

"I... Guess so." She said after a few moments which actually surprised him. It made him grin.

"And to think I didn't even have to do paperwork this time!" He teased which made her roll her eyes.

"I'll just have to make sure there's plenty for you to do next week." She teased which made him pout cutely. After they finished up breakfast she washed the dishes, Shunsui insisting on drying them so she let him do that and once she locked up her house the two headed to the Rukongai, "I usually go to the same store to buy my furniture. That way it's all uniform." She said as she led him to the certain place. That didn't shock him. His Nanao-chan was a very uniform woman so for her to have matching everything was something he expected. Shunsui flashed a devious smile and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why not go for something different this time? Mix things up a little?" He asked her out of curiosity, Nanao quickly shaking her head as she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

"I can't do that. It would be highly dysfunctional. I wouldn't mind a wider shelf as long as it was the same color and style. But nothing completely weird." She said, making him chuckle as he playfully nudged her, making her grunt and playfully glare at him which only made him smile all the more.

"My Nanao-Chan is so serious. Nothing wrong with having something different in your life. Something a little chaotic." He replied, to which Nanao poked his muscular arm with her index finger.

"I get enough chaos from you at work. I don't need it at home too." She retorted, though she held a smile on her face so he knew she was just teasing him. She sighed softly after thinking about it for a moment and she shrugged, "I guess... Having /one/ different shelf wouldn't hurt anything. I can organize it so all my favorite books are on it. To make it 'different' as you say. But still organized." She thought to herself, Shunsui nodding to her.

"Exactly! Give it a purpose and it fits right in." He mused, turning the corner when she did and right ahead was the small furniture shop she spoke to him about. It looked like antique things more than anything really. Refurbished and given some TLC to give it a brand new shine and look. There were some quite lovely pieces he thought. He wouldn't mind coming to look again for his own home. When they stepped inside they were greeted by the shop owner who instantly recognized Nanao and bid her a warm welcome. She explained to him what they needed and they were soon led to the back of the store that was lined with shelves of all different sizes.

After looking over them, Nanao glanced to Shunsui and she crossed her arms over her chest, "Well Mr. Different, which one would you pick out?" She asked him as she watched him look over the different styles and colors.

After staying silent for a few moments a little smile curved on his lips and he glanced over to her, "All the shelving at your place is a dark honey brown. If you stuck with that color it would still be kind of uniform but just have a different style. I would go with this one considering all the books you acquired last night." He said as he motioned to one specific book case. It was the dark honey color that he suggested, with carved curves and designs along the edges. The top curved downwards in spirals, butterflies carved along the sides that were inlaid with gold flake and mother of pearl. Nanao walked over to it and slowly brought her hand up to touch the glossy finish. She had to admit... He could pick beautiful pieces of furniture, "Well?" He asked, waiting for her opinion. Waiting for her to tell him how it was too different and would stick out like a sore thumb. How the butterflies were childish and the mother of pearl and gold flake inlay were too exquisite.

However, such comments never came. Instead, Nanao had a small smile on her face and after taking a minute or two to debate about it she looked to the shop keeper and nodded, "Then it's settled. I'll take this one." She said, Shunsui's grey eyes widening in sheer surprise. He didn't have to do any convincing? That was new. It was certainly welcomed but he just wasn't used to it was all. The shop keeper nodded and disappeared into the back, coming back out with an order form for Nanao to fill out.

"It will take a few weeks but we should receive the set brand new. Do you want us to assemble it like with the others?" He asked, Nanao opening her mount to respond but Shunsui interjected with a grin.

"Nah. We appreciate it, but I can help assemble it." He said, the shop keeper glancing to Nanao who just sighed and nodded with a small smirk, the shop keeper chuckling softly as he jotted down the notes on the order slip.

"Very well. You can pay for it now or wait until it arrives. I'll leave this with you, and if you'd like to pay before you leave just come find me and I'll take care of it." He said with an all too friendly smile, Nanao thanking him before the man disappeared into the back again.

Shunsui watched the older man leave and he looked back to Nanao, "Do you come here for all your book shelf needs?" He asked her as they left, Nanao deciding to pay once she picked up the shelf in a few weeks.

She nodded to him, a small smile on her face, "Yes. I've the years my family estate has purchased quite a few items from his shop. I've developed a taste for the styles in there. Most of my furniture has come from that place. A lot is custom made by his own family. Their favorite commissions are turned into sellable items, like the book case you picked out. That was something someone had commissioned and had enough interest in it to sell it as a regular item. They get antiques as well. That's a completely different section." She explained to him as they headed back down the road, "Heh, sorry it'll take a few weeks though. Guess you won't get to show me how good those hands are at building things yet." She mused, Shunsui shrugging his broad shoulders as he passed a grin towards her.

"That's fine. In the mean time I can continue to woo my Nanao-chan on the many more dates I plan to take her on." He promised, winking at her which made her clear her throat softly, tucking her hands into her sleeves so she wouldn't fiddle with anything. That's something he had noticed about her. Whenever she got shy or nervous she fiddled with something. Whether it be her obi, hair or just twiddling her fingers, he could always tell when she was nervous or flustered by something.

She looked up at him, the man nearly a foot taller than her. It out her about his shoulder level. The top of her head at least. She nearly had to crane her neck just to look up at him, "Oh? You've thought of more ideas for dates?" She asked him, to which Shunsui chuckled.

"I've had many many years to think of all the dates to take you on Nanao-chan. I just had to get you to agree." He said to her. That definitely piqued her curiosity and she tipped her head.

"Oh really? Care to share some ideas?" She asked him, Shunsui holding up a finger in front of her which made her blink her blue eyes.

"Ah ahh~ if you want to know, you'll just have to go on more dates with me~" he chimed with a kissy face, making her sigh softly as she shook her head.

"You're impossible." She muttered quietly in a semi-playful tone, a small smirk on her face. It was faint, but it was definitely there.

Shunsui clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth and he crossed his arms over his chest, "Ya know... I am curious about something." he said after a few moments of silence, waiting for Nanao to look at him before he smirked at her, "You asked me to build you the shelves today... Yet it will take a few weeks to get the materials in... If that was the case why did I need to go with you? Did my Nanao-chan just want to see me that much?" He asked her with his ever playful grin, Nanao blushing as she looked away.

"A-absolutely not! It's going to take a few weeks because you convinced me to get that elaborate bookshelf. If we had gotten the shelving I normally purchased then we'd be on our way back to my home with them in tow." She retorted to him in an 'as a matter of fact' tone that made him laugh softly.

"Well, I guess I can wait a few weeks~ I don't think my lovely Nanao-chan will be going anywhere~" he mused, turning along the path that would lead to Nanao's little home.

* * *

 **A FEW DAYS LATER**

A squeal erupted in the office of Squad Ten's lieutenant as Rangiku rushed over to sit beside Nanao, "That's so cute~! He just rushed right over? That early in the morning? The man who sleeps as a hobby?" She questioned, Nanao nodding as she fiddled with her obi.

"Yeah. He just cut me off and said he'd be over within the hour and sure enough he arrived right when he said he was going to." She said to her which made Rangiku giggle, clapping her hands together quietly.

"He's so into you Nanao! I mean, why else would he have eagerly jumped to your aid like that? And taking you on dates? Getting his paperwork done to do so? How can you think he /doesn't/ like you?" She asked her, Nanao getting up to pace around the office a bit, shrugging her shoulders as she sighed.

"I don't know... It just seems... Surreal I guess. Why would he like /me/? Of all people? I mean... Look at me. He should be chasing bombshells like you..." She said, motioning up and down with her hands before continuing to pace around again. Rangiku frowned and she stood up, walking over to her friend to stop her from pacing around.

She put her hands on her shoulders and she gave her a little smile, "Nanao, you're beautiful in your own way. You're smart, a strong shinigami and you /are/ beautiful. You might be a little stubborn but everyone is at some point." She murmured, making Nanao smile faintly. Rangiku crossed her arms over her busty chest and she leaned against her desk, "Tell me something Nanao... How do you feel about Captain Kyouraku?" She asked her, Nanao's eyes softening as she glanced away, a soft blush appearing on her cheeks.

"I... I don't know..." She whispered softly to him, "I feel like I'm going to end up hurt..." She finally said in a soft whisper, almost inaudible but Rangiku caught it. Her smile softened and she walked over to Nanao to pull her in for a hug, Nanao hiding her face in her shoulder. She could feel her trembling slightly, "He's been with so many women... So many women who are prettier, taller... Have bigger boobs... I mean look at me... I'm not exactly a guy's first choice..." She murmured, trying to keep the tears at bay. But how she felt was true. She never truly felt beautiful, at least not enough to really get a guy's attention. She'd had maybe one or two boyfriends in the past, but nothing that got serious. Or remotely serious anyways, "I'm always left behind for the prettier girls with nicer legs..." She murmured, her voice muffled by Rangiku's shoulder. Her friend rubbed her back soothingly and she sighed quietly.

"Oh Nanao... You're so much prettier than those bimbos. You have something to offer him where those girls didn't. You're loyal, kind hearted and you're so unbelievably smart. Men are idiots. They think they want one thing when what they truly need is right in front of them. He just has to see that. I think he has. Otherwise he wouldn't have been chasing you all these years." She told her, Nanao pulling back with her arms crossed over her chest.

"That's the thing Rangiku... He's been flirting for years but at the same time he'd been going out with random women and whatnot... I don't know if he's actually serious this time or if he just wants to do this for the hell of it." She said, slowly sitting back down on the couch with her hands over her face. It made her heart and body ache to think about it. Surely he wouldn't be so cruel would he? Toy with her emotions and lead her on only to move on shortly later to a busty blonde or redhead who caught his eye at a bar? It made her stomach churn to think about it.

Rangiku could see the problem there. Captain Kyouraku had flirted with her for so many years, now that Nanao actually agreed to go on these dates she didn't know if he was being serious or if he was just continuing that flirting game. She sat back down beside Nanao and rubbed her back again, "It makes sense why you'd be apprehensive about it... But I honestly don't think he'd be that kind of a dick Nanao. He's a lady's man, that's for sure. But I really don't peg him as an empty flirter." Nanao hummed quietly and sat back, tipping her head to rest it against the back of the couch.

After another minute or two of silence Nanao finally spoke, "I don't know when I began to have feelings for him... I thought it was a silly crush at first really... I still don't know if it is or not... I agreed to these dates because I thought I could sort myself out but really... It's only causing me more turmoil." She said quietly with an exhausted sigh, reaching up to rub her temples. She could feel a headache coming on.

"So keep going on the dates and see how it goes. That's really your only way of knowing." Rangiku said to her with a shrug of her shoulders, "I know it's cliche but if it's meant to be then it'll happen. Don't force yourself Nanao. If you do that then everyone loses." She said to her friend who was mentally pouting, "And if it works out, then great! You two can stop tiptoeing around one another and make it official. Have you kissed yet?" She asked with a grin, Nanao shaking her head with a blush.

"N-no... He hasn't kissed me yet..." She murmured back to her. The thought made her heart flutter however. She'd thought about that a lot actually. What it would feel like to kiss him. Sure she'd kissed a guy before but... Would a kiss from him be any different? If there were real feelings then surely that was a thing right? Those foot popping moments that happen in romance films? The butterflies in the stomach? She didn't expect a choir of angels to sing when the moment happened but she expected it to be a big thing.

Rangiku giggled as she waved her hand, "Then get on it girl~!" She said as she playfully gave Nanao a shove, making her finally crack a smile and even laugh a little.

"I won't rush it Rangiku... We'll just see how it plays out..." She said, making Rangiku grin.

* * *

The stack of papers that hit Shunsui's desk made him jolt from his day dream, smiling sheepishly at his lieutenant as she gave him a quizzical look and a raised eyebrow, "Heh... My apologies. I was zoning out." He said to her, Nanao humming as she walked over to her desk with her own paperwork in tow.

"Oh? Don't tell me that you've given up on our weekly wager?" She asked, a sly grin appearing on his face as he waved a hand.

"Of course not lovely Nanao-chan~! I've been day dreaming about what possible dates we could go on this week~" he said, Nanao nipping her lip before she looked back at him, her fingers fidgeting with one another after putting down her papers.

She slowly approached his desk again but stopped when she got about half way there, "Actually... I wanted to bring something up." She said, Shunsui tipping his head with a blink of those grey eyes. She took a breath and said her thought before it sealed away forever, "I... I was thinking that... I... Could choose the date this time." She said in a quiet, almost mousy voice. But Shunsui heard it and it made him smile brightly.

"Yare yare~! Nanao-chan wants to pick the date this week? Be still my old heart~" he said, chuckling at the "be serious" look she gave him and he nodded, "I'm perfectly happy with Nanao-chan picking the date. We'll go wherever you want to." He replied, making her smile softly as she nodded.

"Okay then... Well... There's this festival that is happening this weekend in the Living World. It's something I go to every year. You wear your favorite kimono and there are games and food kiosks and contests and even a few rides. There are also traditional booths that offer crafts and goods that particularly catch my interest. I need to buy a new kimono but I can do that after work." She explained, Shunsui listening intently to her before he grinned and nodded.

"That sounds delightful! I'd love to see my Nanao-chan dolled up in a pretty kimono. What day would you like to go?" He asked her, very much game for this idea. It sounded fun and it seemed to mix with both their personalities. He was all for festivals and she would enjoy the more traditional aspects. A perfect balance. Nanao was thrilled that he agreed. She didn't think he would decline her request but that thought still scratched at the back of her mind.

She smiled lightly at him and gave a curt little nod before she turned on her heels and quickly went to her desk, "O-okay! Great... I... usually go on Friday. There's an opening ceremony at sunset and there are ladies who dance with fans and streamers." Shunsui gave her a thumbs up as he calculated the plans in his head on when to pick her up and such. Before he could speak she smirked and chuckled, "But you have to finish your paperwork first," she added to him while pointing to his stack, Shunsui flashing her a handsome smile.

"Challenge accepted dear Nanao-chan~~"

* * *

The week seemed to pass rather slowly for Nanao. She couldn't describe why that was so. Maybe it was because she was excited for Friday to arrive so that she could go to the festival. Thats probably why the week went slow. It always did when she looked forward to something. Maybe that's why the past few weeks had gone by slowly. She was actually having fun on these dates with her captain and she was always looking forward to the next adventure he would take her on. It made her curious as to what he would wear. Did he have a special kimono he would wear? She still needed to get one as well. She'd worn the same one for several years now and she figured it was time to get a new one. Her thoughts were shaken when Rangiku burst into her office, "Nanao~~~~~!" She chimed and squealed at the same time, carrying a box with her. Nanao blinked and placed her pen down, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

"Rangiku please... You don't have to shout. What in the gods names is going on?" She asked as she stood up, Rangiku putting the box down on the table.

The busty woman giggled as she motioned to the box, "So, Captain Kyouraku came to my office today and told me that you two were going on another date and that it was to a festival~ Naturally I wanted to know details he came to me because he needed your measurements~ Lucky for you I'm the wardrobe coordinator for the Women's Association and had them on file~" she chimed, Nanao looking at her and then to the box before it hit her.

"He didn't..." She murmured softly, her hands instantly going to untie the ribbon around the box and then she pulled the top open, peeling away the layers of paper until she saw what was hiding within, her eyes widening and a gasp leaving her mouth. Tucked inside was a beautiful kimono in a soft pink, a lot like the color of the one he always wore over his captain's haori. The sleeves were dotted with flowers and petals as well as the bottom, a soft green obi and a purple sash included to go with it, "That sneaky bastard... That's where he went at lunch time! He said he had to run an errand!" She said as she pulled out the kimono, matching layers folded neatly underneath in other shades of pink and purple, "Did you help him pick it out?" She asked her, Rangiku shaking her head as she crossed her arms.

"Nope! All I did was give him the measurements and he picked it out on his own. And before you look he made sure no price tags were left on there." She pointed out, making Nanao pout faintly because that's what she was going to look for, "He said to go ahead and bring it to you. He's picking out one himself as we speak. He said the next time he saw the kimono he wanted you to be wearing it." She said to her, Nanao's fingers softly kneading the material. It was made of a fine fabric. That was for sure. The embroidery was superb and there wasn't a stitch out of place. She carefully folded it back and put it into the box before she sat down, taking a breath. Nanao swallowed softly, glancing over to the vacant captain's desk. All his paperwork for the day was signed and ready to go. He didn't have to return though she figured he might unless she locked up the office early.

Once she gathered her thoughts she slowly stood back up and she picked up the box, smiling lightly to Rangiku, "Thank you for bringing it Rangiku. I think I'm going to lock up the office early today since his work is finished. I can finish up mine tomorrow." She said, Rangiku nodding as she was walked out by Nanao who locked the office behind her.

"Alrighty~! I'm gonna run back to my squad before my captain gets on my ass. I'd better get a picture with you wearing that~!" She said in a sing song voice as she headed out, Nanao nodding to agree before she headed in the opposite direction, walking about half way before she flashed the remaining distance. She went into her home and she went to her bedroom, placing the box on the bed before she opened it again, picking up the dusty pink kimono and holding it up to her in front of the mirror. Before she could stop it a small smile appeared on her face and she held the garment close to her, the fabric tickling her blushing cheek.

Shunsui was currently leaving the kimono shop with a box of his own when he heard his phone go off in a little chime. He took it out of his shihakushou pocket and checked the message, smiling softly at the two words.

 _Thank you_

* * *

 **THE FOLLOWING EVENING**

With a sigh, fidgety hands finally managed to make a crisp, pretty bow with the purple obi, Nanao looking at herself in the mirror. She was mainly looking at the kimono she had on rather than herself. She never considered herself a pink person but this color suited her. It went well with her pale, creamy skin and soft features. Her hair was in a different style tonight. It was in a half up half down look with her bangs framing both sides of her face, some of her hair tied back while the rest flowed down to the middle of her shoulder blades. She'd told Shunsui what time they needed to leave and like the past two dates they went on he was right on time. She heard the knock on her front door and she felt her heart speed up. She shook her head and sighed softly, "Calm down Nanao..." She told herself, checking herself over one more time before she went to the front door to open it. Shunsui was standing there with that same handsome smile on his face and when he saw her it grew even wider. She didn't even think that was possible.

He reached down to take her hand, lifting it to his lips to give it a soft kiss, "I know that's against the rules but you look so exquisite I couldn't help myself." He said quietly to her as he released her hand, Nanao nipping on her lip softly as she quietly thanked him, "That kimono is stunning on you..." He told her, his voice soft yet deep which made shivers run down her spine.

"You look rather handsome yourself..." She said to him, looking at his own choice of attire. He was wearing a kimono that ombred from a light blue at the shoulders to a dark blue at his feet, the sleeves doing the same thing. There was a waterfront scene along the bottom with a few black and white koi with elaborate fins. His hair was, as usual, pulled back into that low ponytail with the one stray bang hanging down between his eyes and along the bridge of his nose. Chuckling, he gave a little bow with a hand pressed to his chest.

"Thank you Nanao-chan. I have to dress my best otherwise you might lose interest and turn me away~" he teased and she laughed softly.

"Not tonight. Tonight I'm going to a festival~" she said with a smile as she locked up which made him smile as well. He led her to the senkaimon where they both went through, led by their hell butterflies until the doors opened to the Living World. The two headed for Urahara's to get situated into their gigai and once they were both ready Nanao then led the way to where the festival was being held. As they grew closer they could pick up the sound of jovial music playing all throughout, a certain area of a park glowing from the lights and lanterns hung for decor. Shunsui looked around as they headed inside the entrance that was marked by two giant red wooden pillars that were wrapped with lights. Many booths were lined up along the paths and in the distance he could see the rides that included a ferris wheel and a few fast paced rides, "I think the stage is this way." She said as she pointed towards a direction that would lead them deep inside the festival. He nodded to her, going to let her lead the way since she'd been to this festival before.

The two zigged and zagged around the many people who were already there, Shunsui following Nanao until she rounded the corner and saw the stage all set up with bleachers and risers set up around it like an amphitheater, "I'll sit anywhere you like to get a good view." He told her, letting her lead this date. She nodded and led him to the middle of the risers where they'd have a center view of the stage and she sat down, Shunsui tucking his hands into his sleeves, gazing above the stage in the distance where the sun was beginning to set.

"It should start soon." Nanao said, interrupting his thoughts. But he smiled and gave a nod, glancing over to her. He wished he could get a picture of this moment. She was sitting there, proper and straight as always, the setting sun illuminating her features that made them look even softer. She was watching the stage, eagerly waiting for the opening ceremony to begin. She looked simply breath taking. He thought the color scheme of the kimono worked perfectly for her. Ten minutes or so passed and a soft song began to play about the amphitheater, Nanao smiling as she saw the beautiful dancers elegantly walk into the stage, their hands hidden in their sleeves as they got into position. It made Shunsui smile seeing how excited she was.

The amphitheater guests began to quiet down and soon it was silent, then a few seconds later soft music began to play and the dancers took off, moving in fluid motions removing their hidden arms from the sleeves to reveal fans and streamers. The dancers were in elegant kimono, each a different color but they had the same floral pattern on them. Their hair was pulled back into a bun and each had their own decorative comb tucked in the side, little tassels and ornaments hanging down from the centerpiece of it. Shunsui's gaze shifted between the dancers and Nanao. He honestly wanted to watch her reactions to their dances. See what about it excited her. Her eyes were glued on them, her eyes analyzing their movements of both their feet and their hands as they waved the decorative fans and twirled the bright streamers across the stage.

The two watched the dancers for a good half hour until they came to a stop, giving graceful bows as the audience cheered and clapped for them, Nanao included. She then looked to Shunsui with a bright smile on her face, "What did you think?" She asked him in an excited voice, one he remembered her having when he took her to the library the previous week.

"They were lovely. Though I found myself looking at you more than I did them." He told her honestly which made her blush deeply and she cleared her throat shyly, "But what I did see I very much enjoyed." He answered her as they both stood, going to make their way back into the crowd to look around the shops and also at the small game booths just to see what was there.

The two passed along one large booth that had kimono and obi for sale, the owner smiling at Nanao, "Come on in~! If you see something you like feel free to try it on~" he said, Nanao smiling lightly as she shook her head to politely decline, "Oh come now~ A pretty woman like you needs a wardrobe full of these fine kimono! We can find you one that will really make you look stunning~" he said, Nanao opening her mouth to decline again but she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and she was gently pulled up to Shunsui's side, making her blush.

"She's already stunning. I believe she said no thank you." He said to the owner who looked to Shunsui before he backed down and went to hassle another potential customer.

Shunsui guided Nanao away a little bit before he heard her clear her throat, "You didn't have to do that... But thank you." She said, obviously flustered by what Shunsui said about her. It made the blush stay on her cheeks a bit longer than it normally would have.

He gave her a warm smile and he shook his head, "I know... But obviously that man was blind if he thought that you weren't beautiful enough. If anything you would make his kimono look more beautiful. Not the other way around." He said to her, Nanao cutely poking her fingers together as they walked along the other booths. It was a few moments before she realized he still had his arm around her... But she didn't tell him to move it. She actually rather liked it. He had a soft yet firm grip around her waist to keep her securely at his side, as if he were showing some male dominance to show that she was his. It secretly made her happy. The two walked along the multiple paths that led by many booths, just talking to one another about random things when a little shop caught Shunsui's eye, his movements slowing which meant hers did too, "Let's look over here for a moment." He said as he led her over to the booth which had multiple displays of ornate hair clips similar to the ones that the dancers wore in their hair on stage. He glanced to Nanao who was looking at them also, seemingly captivated by a few of them.

"These are lovely..." She murmured as she looked them over. Shunsui did have an eye for beautiful things and she was happy to look with him, thinking he just brought her over in case she wanted to buy something. Though, after a minute or two she felt a gentle pressure on her head and when she snapped back into consciousness from looking she glanced to Shunsui who was pulling his hand back and smiling.

"Now they are." He said, Nanao feeling something tickling her ear. She found a mirror and looked into it, her eyes widening when she saw the beautiful clip he'd placed in her hair. It wasn't a very big one, though it's beauty more than made up for it. The clip had a large pink enamel cherry blossom in as the centerpiece, with pearls and other gems decorating it. Little cherry blossoms carved from pink mother of pearl dangled down the side of her head along with some pearls that matched the ones at the top of the comb, "Beautiful... Now you put those dancers to shame." He told her, Nanao looking back in the mirror to look at the clip.

"C-captain! You've already gone overboard with the kimono... I can't possibly let you pay for this." She tried to protest but he was already handing money to the shop owner which nearly made her fall over. Did the man ever listen to her? Shunsui just chuckled and thanked the shop owner who thanked him as wells

"Then let me go overboard some more~ Come on Nanao-chan~ I want to spoil you~" he said, Nanao grumbling playfully as she crossed her arms over her chest. He managed to get her arms uncrossed so he could take her hand and he began to guide her through the crowd, out to a more private area in the back.

"Where are we going Captain?" She asked him as she looked around, stopping when he did by a grove of trees. He looked at her and he smiled tenderly, reaching up to stroke her cheek.

"Nanao-chan... Hear me out..." He said to her as he leaned against the trunk of a tree, looking at her with that tender gaze that always got her flustered, "If you think I'm doing this as if it were a game... You're wrong." He started, making her blink slightly, "I really do want to take you out. When you gave me that wager I thought it was finally my chance to take you out and show you that I do care about you. I want to spoil you... I want to give you things like the kimono and the comb and your favorite book in the first edition... Even if it is in French." He told her, reaching down to take her hand which she didn't pull away. Not this time. She let him take it in his, hers so tiny when he was holding it, "So please... Continue to go on these dates with me. I'll do all the paperwork you want me to... Though I hope you'll want to go on these dates with me with no wager included." He said, giving her hand a kiss before he let her pull it away.

She was silent for a moment before her lips parted, "Captain..." She started before he pressed a finger to her lips to silence her.

"That brings me to another thing. Please, will you call me by my name when I take you out?" He asked her, just wanting to hear her say his name. She thought about it for a few seconds before she sighed and she nodded.

"Okay... Shunsui." She murmured, making him give her a bright smile when he finally heard her say his name. He reached up to brush his fingers down her cheek and he nodded.

"Perfect... Now... Anything else you'd like to do here?" He asked her, Nanao checking the time before she hummed.

"Well... There is a fireworks show in about fifteen minutes if you wanted to stay and watch." She suggested and he nodded to her.

"Fireworks sound fun. Any particular spot you go to for them?" He asked her to which she nodded.

"I usually go down by the river." She told him, Shunsui giving her a thumbs up before letting her lead the way to her spot which was a nice grassy hill that overlooked the river. They sat down right as the first firework went up and they both smiled softly as it exploded into a royal blue color a few seconds after it shot into the air. It was getting a little chilly so he pulled Nanao close and she didn't argue. She was feeling a tad cold so his body heat was very much welcomed. They both watched the fireworks for a bit, staying in their perfect little spot by the river. After a few minutes Shunsui felt something on his hand and he blinked, glancing down and smiling when he saw one of Nanao's hands sneaking its way on top. However, Nanao was still fixated on the fireworks. Or was pretending to be anyways. Her fingers were running across his slowly and finally he turned his hand to lace their fingers together. His eyes shifted to her features once more. She was blushing, not looking at him.

But a little smile was on her face.

* * *

Hello lovlies! Here's another update for you. :) I got really into this one and it ended up being nearly 15 pages long! I was traveling between stages by plane and had a LOT of time to write all curled up in my seat. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review if you can. I really enjoy getting them knowing that people are enjoying my story. Give me some date ideas! :) The more ideas I have, the more chapters you'll get! ;) I'm about to board the plane to head home so please enjoy! :)

Byakuya'sGirl90210


	5. Under the Weather- The Fourth Date?

**Under the Weather- The Fourth Date?**

After the fireworks ended the festival began to draw to a close, the crowds thinning out as the music got quieter. Shunsui stood up after Nanao decided she was ready to head on and they headed back to the festival, playing a few of the games that were available. Shunsui was able to show off his "skills" with the darts and after popping a certain amount of balloons was handed a little stuffed panda as a prize which he handed off to Nanao. After they had some fun at the game booths, the moon was now high in the sky and Nanao was feeling herself growing tired. Shunsui was ready to leave when she was and when she gave him the signal the two returned to the senkaimon. They both decided to keep their gigai with them. If they were going to return to the Living World for dates there was no reason to keep leaving them at Urahara's. They could keep them just fine in their own homes. As they walked Nanao could feel the charms tickling her ear, making her smile lightly at the gesture. He was spoiling her alright. First the library, then the extravagant kimono, and now the beautiful comb that matched it. It was too much really but she couldn't say no. Not when he gave her such a cute pout with those grey eyes of his. Together they headed back to the Soul Society and, as Shunsui always did, walked her back to her home safe and sound, "Did you have a fun time?" She asked him since he'd never been to that festival before.

He nodded to her and gave her a smile, leaning against the pole on her front porch that supported the awning, "I did. I enjoyed it greatly. Though I enjoyed my beautiful date more." He said which made her blush. It seemed like she was doing that a lot lately. She was certain he did it on purpose. Which, wasn't a complete lie. He liked seeing her cheeks turn rosy like that when she was complimented, "The dancers were nice but I think the fireworks were my favorite thing to see. Besides you in that beautiful kimono," he continued to say which only had her growing more flustered. She fumbled with the key to her door until she was able to open it and she smiled shyly at him.

"It's getting late... I should probably get ready for bed." She said, Shunsui raising an eyebrow as he checked the time stamp on his phone.

"Yare yare. Even on the weekends you're early to bed and early to rise huh?" He asked her and she chuckled and nodded.

"Yes. I particularly like the mornings. I'm very much a morning person. It was very fun. I haven't had that much fun at a festival in a while." She said to him which really made him happy. Knowing she had such a good time and had a good time with him excited him and made him hope that she'd keep agreeing to dates.

Shunsui bent down to kiss her forehead and he pulled away before she could protest, "I'll see you Monday then. I'm very glad to know you had a good time." He said to her, Nanao nodding as she opened the door to head inside. However, both of them blinked when they heard a soft patter and they glanced out into the yard to see it was starting to rain, "I didn't know it was supposed to rain." He mused, glancing back to Nanao with a smile, "Have you ever played in the rain?" He asked her, Nanao raising an eyebrow as she shook her head, "Whaaat? You've never played in the rain?! Well, there's always a first for everything!" He said, reaching out to grab her hand and before she could protest he was pulling her out into the yard where the rain was coming down harder.

"C-captain! The kimono!" She said as she was yanked out into the yard and Shunsui laughed softly as he pulled her to him.

"It'll be fine. It can be sent out to be cleaned." He answered her, starting to dance with her in the rain, "Have a little fun Nanao-chan~!" He chimed happily. Nanao looked up at him and saw the big goofy grin on his face and soon she was laughing as he swung her around jovially.

"We've been having fun all evening! We'll catch our death of cold!" She tried to be the voice of reason but she was actually having a little fun "dancing" like they were. She didn't care she was getting soaked to the bone and her hair was now dripping wet and sticking to her features. It was a good thing Rangiku gave her waterproof makeup. After a minute or two she managed to pull away and she smiled at him, "Okay! We've had our fun. Now it's time to call it an evening and get dried off." She said, Shunsui giving her a smile. His own clothes were soaked and his hair was slicked back in that ponytail, the one bang sticking down along his nose.

He gave a cute pout before it was replaced with that smile once again and he nodded, letting her run back up to the porch, "Very well~ Good night Nanao-chan~" he chimed quietly as he smiled at her, Nanao nodding to him.

"Good night... Shunsui..." she said quietly to him with a chuckle before closing the door behind her to head upstairs and get to bed. She almost hated taking the kimono off. It was so beautiful and took so long to put on it almost made her want to sleep in it. But, since she was wet from the rain she decided to ultimately take it off and hang it up, slipping into a simple yakuta after drying off. She sat down at her vanity and smiled as she saw the beautiful comb still tucked on the side of her head. Slowly her fingers reached up to pluck it from her hair, gently placing it down on the vanity. She smiled as she ran her fingers along the enamel finish of the cherry blossom, sighing softly before getting up to go to her bed, crawling beneath the covers and closing her eyes as her body easily slipped into slumber, the panda plush tucked under her arm. She had to admit it. She had fun. A lot of fun. The rain was definitely a surprise but Shunsui managed to make that fun as well. She thought it wouldn't be that bad to dance in the rain again.

* * *

When Nanao woke up a few days later, dancing in the rain was definitely not something she wanted to do again. She woke up Monday morning feeling terrible with barely enough strength to even sit up in bed. When she had her bearings she reached over to get her phone, checking the time stamp. It was nearly 9 AM! She should be at work and deep into her papers by now! Nanao quickly sat up but got incredibly dizzy and so she laid back down, groaning softly as her free hand pressed to her forehead. She was burning up, "Dammit..." she griped softly, closing her eyes as she laid on her side, shivering as she curled up.

At the barracks, Shunsui was heading inside to get to his office and he went to open the door when he noticed it was still locked, "Mnn? It's locked?" He asked quietly, turning to one of the division members walking by, "Is Nanao-chan here?" He asked her, the seated shinigami shaking her head.

"No captain. I haven't seen her at all this morning. It's odd though. Usually she's one of the first ones here." she told him, Shunsui thanking her before he pulled out his phone to dial her up.

After a few moments the line clicked and he heard a pitiful voice on the phone, "H-hello...?" Came the almost timid voice before he heard coughing on the other line. His eyes widened and he blinked.

"Nanao-chan? Are you sick?" He asked her quietly to which he heard another cough.

"Does it sound like I'm healthy?" Came the sarcastic surprise which made him chuckle softly, "Yes I'm sick... I told you... we'd catch a cold out in the rain..." she said to him in a weak voice and he heard a sneeze next. She sounded cute when she sneezed. He frowned and closed his eyes, "So I guess I'm not coming to the office today..." she murmured quietly as she sniffled, coughing again. He felt sorry for the poor thing. Nanao was never sick. At least it had been years since she was sick enough to call into work, "I've got a headache so I'm going to hang up now... try not to burn the barracks down..." she said quietly before she hung up, groaning quietly as she face planted her pillow.

With a frown, Shunsui sighed and he closed his phone, slipping it back into his pocket. He went to his third seat's office and he opened the door, "Enjoji-san. Nanao-chan seems to be ill. I'm going to her home to make sure she's all right. Can I trust you with the division today?" He asked the third seat nodding to him which made Shunsui give him a friendly smile, "Great! Thank you." He said, swiftly making his leave. He left the barracks and quickly flashed to Nanao's home. When he arrived he knocked on her door.

After receiving no answer he pulled out his phone and called hers again, it ringing a few times longer than usual before he heard the clock, "What?!" He heard, wincing a bit at the sharp tone.

"Nanao-chan is mean when she's sick~ Will you answer your door?" He asked her, hearing a deep sigh on the other end after a few moments of silence.

"I should have known you'd come by... there's a key hidden in the bush by my front door... it's under the little lawn ornament..." she told him, figuring it was useless to argue and try to get him to go away so she'd let him come in for a little while at least. Shunsui looked around the front door and quickly found the ornament, lifting it up to find the key beneath it.

"Found it. I'll be inside." He told her, hearing a 'mnnn' before the line went dead. He unlocked her door and quietly went inside, taking his straw hat off as well as his shoes. He took off the pink kimono and draped it on the coat hook by the door and then he made his way to her bedroom where he saw a lump beneath the covers, "My poor Nanao-chan." He said as he walked to the bed, sitting down on her side where she was facing him. Her eyes were closed and the blankets were pulled up to her nose.

"Yeah... poor Nanao-chan let her captain pull her out into the rain and now she's sick..." she muttered quietly, coughing roughly which shook her bed a little. He reached out and pressed the back of his large hand to her forehead, frowning deeply when he felt heat.

"You're burning up... you need some medicine." He said quietly, Nanao humming before peeking her eyes open to look up at him.

"My medicine cabinet is... in the kitchen... above the fridge." She told him, Shunsui nodding before he immediately got up and went to the specific room, digging around in the cabinet before he found a fever reducer. He grabbed a glass of cold water and put her kettle on the stove to start making her some hot tea before making his way back to her room.

He sat back down and held out the two little pills and the glass of water, "Here... take these. I'm making some tea as well." He said, helping her sit up so she could take the pills and then he eased her back down. When the water was hot it made the kettle steam and he went to the kitchen to pour it over her favorite blend of tea leaves, making it just the way she liked it. He carried it to her room and sat back down at the edge of the bed, placing the cup of tea on the dresser, "Here sweetheart. You need to drink fluids..." he murmured, making sure he kept his voice down since she said she had a headache. The fever reducer he gave her also had a pain killer element so hopefully that would help. She groaned softly and pulled the covers more around her, "Heh, and even though I know you hate staying in bed all day, you need to rest." He said, reaching up to stroke her hair that was tussled from tossing and turning the night before. She slowly nodded and sniffled, causing Shunsui to glance around him until he spotted a box of tissues on her vanity. He got up and retrieved them, bringing them back to the bed. He plucked one from the box and held it to her nose, "Blow." He instructed and Nanao did as told, giving a weak blow but it was effective. He pulled the small waste basket over and dropped the soiled tissue into it, "That's my girl. You just rest okay? I'll get you whatever you need." He said quietly, Nanao just nodding again as she closed her eyes. She hated this. She looked and felt so weak and to top it off Shunsui was taking care of her. Nanao found it sweet but also embarrassing at the same time. She never wanted to look vulnerable in front of him.

He tucked the blankets around her and he stood back up, walking over to the couch nearby, "You don't have to stay... there's work that needs to be done at our squad..." came a weak voice a few moments later, Shunsui looking over to her with a warm smile.

"The paperwork can wait. Enjoji-san is taking care of everything for us. My job right now is to make sure you're taken care of." He said, clearly letting her know that he wasn't going anywhere any time soon. She just let it drop. She didn't have the energy to talk, let alone argue with him when she knew he was going to be stubborn and would do whatever he wanted to anyways. Which, would be him staying right where he was in her room.

A few hours passed and Nanao dozed on an off, Shunsui napping as well. He wasn't going to waste the chance to get in a mid-morning nap. Nanao was too sick and not in the mood to scold him and she'd wake him if she needed anything. When she did wake though he was awake as well and when he saw her stirring he had her full attention, "Is there any soup?" He heard her ask in a quiet, weak voice. Her headache was dulled but it was still there, though it didn't hurt nearly as bad as it did when she woke up. He stood up and he hummed, motioning to her that he was going to go check.

He came back a few minutes later with a small smile on his face, "There are a few packages of soup. But if you'd like I can go get some freshly made soup." He offered her as he knelt down beside her bed. She looked up at him, her normally bright blue eyes dull from sickness. Nanao just gave him a little nod before coughing.

"That's fine... you know what I like..." she said simply and Shunsui was off, heading out to go to the Rukongai to get her some soup. He knew just the place to go to and he would get plenty for them both and enough to have leftovers for later if that was all she could stomach. Shunsui was only gone for twenty or so minutes before he returned. She was still curled up under the covers, coughing and sniffling and groaning in frustration. She hated being sick. She didn't like being holed up doing nothing. She liked to keep busy and staying in bed was /not/ keeping busy.

She peeked over to the door when Shunsui walked in and he gave her a little smile, "Think you can sit up?" He asked her, Nanao humming in protest at first before she slowly began to move. Shunsui helped her, tucking pillows behind her back to keep her propped up, "There we go... I brought your favorite. Gimme one second and I'll bring it in here." He told her before he got up and went back to the kitchen, reappearing a minute or so later with a tray in his hands that had a large bowl of soup in the middle and a glass of water with it, a sleeve of crackers tucked under his arm, "Here you go~ Nice and hot soup~" he said as he put the tray in her lap, putting the glass of water on her bedside table and the crackers on the tray. She sniffled softly and grabbed another tissue to dab her nose before picking up the spoon, murmuring a "Thank you" to him before she began to eat her soup, closing her eyes with a deep hum as the hot liquid ran down her throat, soothing the scratchiness quite a bit.

While she silently ate he watched her. He'd never seen her like this before. It was just so... pure. Her hair was tussled and she was still in her yakuta and even though this was mainly because she was sick, he couldn't stop watching her. That is until she broke his concentration by coughing, which jolted the tray but his swift hands balanced the bowl before he contents could slosh out, "Sorry..." she murmured softly, her speech becoming a little less clear due to her stuffy nose. In a way it was cute though.

He slowly released the bowl so she could continue to eat, a small smile on his face, "It's okay Nanao-chan. I'd hate for it to spill and burn you. Then I'd have to give you a bath." He said with an impish grin which got a slight glare from Nanao. Her cheeks were already flushed from the fever so he couldn't tell if she was blushing or not. He hoped she was.

"Thank you... you don't have to stay... I can take care of myself." She told him as she straightened up a little bit, making him chuckle as he leaned back on one of his palms.

"And miss the opportunity to take care of Nanao-chan~? Never! After all the times you've taken care of me it's the least I can do." He told her, Nanao humming softly as she sipped on her soup.

"You mean when I collect you from the bars and take your drunk ass to your own home?" She asked him, Shunsui placing his other hand over his chest with a dramatic sigh.

"Nanao-chan wounds me so~" he teased, casting her a wink and a smirk which made her roll her eyes slightly. Once she finished her soup Shunsui took the empty dishes back to the kitchen, washing them and placing them on the drying mat before returning to her side. She'd laid back down at that point and pulled the covers back over her, "Would you like a bath Nanao-chan? I can draw it for you and give you some privacy." He said to her, Nanao thinking about it with her eyes closed. A bath did sound rather nice. Maybe the hot water and the steam could help her nose unstuff itself.

"Okay... but no funny business..." she told him, Shunsui laughing softly as he stood up from the bed and headed into the bathroom.

"Fine fine Nanao-chan~ No tricks." He mused, going to the bathroom where her tub awaited. He turned the water on and made sure it was hot but not too hot, digging around in the sink cabinet until he found a little collection of bath bombs. He dug around them, sniffing each one until he found one with mint extract, popping it into the tub and watched with fascination as it fizzled and turned the water a soft blue shade. That was certainly new. The smell of mint filled the bathroom and once the tub was filled he got up and walked back into the bedroom with a towel, "The bath is ready, slip into the towel and I'll help you into the bathroom." He said, Nanao managing to cough out a chuckle.

"You're funny... my robe is hanging on the hook behind the door." She said, Shunsui blinking before finding the robe in the spot where she said it would be, quickly taking it back over to her. She took it and sat up again, twirling her finger, "Turn around..." she said to him and he did as she asked, turning so he couldn't watch her change. He even closed his eyes so he wouldn't peek in the mirror, "Okay... I'm ready." He heard her say and he opened his eyes turning back around. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her robe tied closed around her but one hand was fisted at her chest to make sure her robe left every inch of skin covered to her neck. He wrapped an arm around her and easily helped her to her feet, walking with her to the bathroom and she stepped into the tub.

"Just let me know when you're ready to get out and I'll help okay?" He asked, Nanao nodding slightly and she sat on the edge of the tub, waiting for him to leave before she slipped her robe off and sank down into the water, sighing deeply as the warmth enveloped her body. She sank down to her chin, closing her eyes as the smell of mint relaxed her. The mint was a nice choice she thought. It was helping to open her sinuses and helped clear her head a little bit. Her blue eyes opened slightly when she heard the deep humming sound Shunsui was making as he sat outside the bathroom. It was some random tune in his head but it made Nanao smile softly. She thought it was a sweet gesture... he was going out of his way to take care of her and he did it all on his own decisions. She kept thinking back to her conversation with Rangiku that morning a few days before the festival.

 _I don't know when I began to have feelings for him... I thought it was a silly crush at first._

 _So keep going on the dates and see how it goes._

 _Have you kissed yet?_

 _I won't rush it Rangiku._

"Nanao-chan~?" Shunsui's voice sudden broke her thoughts and with a small splash she sat up a bit.

"Y-yes?" She asked him before starting to cough, sinking back down into the water.

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't fall asleep in there. You weren't answering me." He said to her, tipping his head back against the door of the bathroom with a little smile.

Nanao shook her head and cleared her throats softly, sinking back down to her chin in the water, "Sorry... I was just thinking... kind of got lost in thought." She told him, hearing a faint chuckle on the side of the door.

"It's okay. Just as long as you're okay." Came his answer before he fell quiet once more and Nanao closed her eyes again. She reached around until she felt the soft terry cloth rag hanging on the handle and she dunked it in the water, slowly gliding it along her arms and shoulders and then down her chest and stomach to her legs. Clearing her throat, she tipped her head back as she lifted the rag above her head and draped it over her features, breathing in the minty smell of it.

She was in there another ten minutes or so before she finally figured she should get out and she opened her eyes, "I'm not exactly sure how this is gonna work but I'm finished with the bath." She called out quietly, hearing shuffling outside the door before it cracked open. She was low enough in the tub to block his view of anything inappropriate. Shunsui grabbed her robe off the hook and he held it out, closing his eyes.

"Here you go. Just stand up and slip on your robe and then I'll help you back to bed." He said to her, Nanao nipping her lip as if in thought before she nodded and unplugged the tub to drain the water, then she slowly stood up and she slipped her robe on.

When she had it secured and tied she looked up at him, "Okay... it's on." She said, Shunsui opening his eyes again and before she could protest he swept her into his arms bridal style, "C-captain!" She tried to protest but he just smiled at her as he carried her back into the bedroom.

"Nanao-chan!" He said back in the same exasperated tone she did just to tease her a little and she glared at him which made him laugh, "Oh come now. I'm here to take care of you. That includes transportation from room to room." He said simply to which made Nanao roll her eyes and sigh in defeat. At this point she was just going to let him do what he wished and so she'd stop protesting. He sat her back down on the bed and then stood back up, "Do you want another yakuta to put on?" He asked her to which she nodded.

"Yes please... they're in my closet on the left." She told him as she pointed to said closet. Shunsui went and found her another yakuta and brought it to her, turning around again like a good boy so she could change and once she did he went and hung her robe up before returning to her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, reaching up to press his hand against her forehead, "You still feel warm. Not as bad as earlier but you still have a fever." He commented as Nanao settled back beneath the covers.

She shrugged slightly as she reached over for a tissue to dab her nose, "I still feel like a bus hit me... the bath helped clear my sinuses a bit though... but my nose is still quite runny." She said right before blowing her nose which made him wince. At least she wasn't throwing up. He was at least grateful for that. He thought for a moment before he smiled, reaching up to pat her head.

"How about I find a nice book and we read?" He asked her, causing her to raise an eyebrow as she glanced up at him.

"Read together? I don't think I've done that since I read with Lisa when she was still your lieutenant." She murmured quietly, a little frown on her face. After Lisa left she began to keep to herself more. She stayed in her room and read by herself. It just wasn't the same to read with someone if it wasn't with Lisa. She wouldn't even read with Shunsui though he'd offered many a time. She thought about it for a little while before she looked back up at him, "I guess so... feel free to choose whichever book you'd like. Since it's my collection I won't be picky... and there aren't any erotica genres for you to choose from." She added which made him pout.

"Ohhh but those are the most fun~" he mused as he stood, heading to her den to scour the books until one caught his interest and he smiled, picking the thick, leather bound book out from one of the far right shelves. He dusted it off as he carried it back to Nanao's room and he sat down beside her, leaning against the pile of pillows he'd put there for her comfort.

When she saw what book he'd chosen her eyes widened slightly, "The Divine Comedy? I never pegged you for a Dante kind of guy." She said, Shunsui smiling as he opened the book.

"It's actually my favorite. Like The Phantom of the Opera is to you. I guess I just like the aspect of the Nine Circles of Hell. What humans expect in the after life." He told her, flipping the pages until he propped a leg up so he could rest the book against his thigh, "Shall I begin?" He asked her and she nodded, hugging a pillow to her as he began to read in his soft and deep voice, fluidly speaking every line of the epic poem. He decided to begin well into the book with Dante entering the first of the nine circles, Limbo, where those who committed no sin but did not accept Christ reside. Nanao didn't mean to. It just happened. He'd been reading for just over fifteen minutes and she found herself dozing. By the time Shunsui noticed she was fast asleep with her forehead pressed against his arm. He smiled softly and quietly closed the book, laying it on the bedside table before he pulled the covers over her to tuck her in. He bent down to gently place a soft kiss on her warm forehead and pulled back with a soft smile on his lips, "Sleep well Nanao-chan..." he murmured quietly to her, pulling away so he could go turn off the overhead light, then he headed to the loveseat by the window to sit down, taking the book with him so he could read on his own until she woke.

* * *

She slept for only an hour or so before she began to stir and when she stirred it erupted into a coughing fit. Within seconds Shunsui was at her side and he was helping prop her up, giving her a tissue to cover her mouth with and to also blow her nose. When her coughing fit finally settled down he smiled lightly at her and she looked up at him, "How long was I asleep?" She asked him quietly, clearing her scratchy throat.

Shunsui looked at his phone and hummed, "Roughly an hour. You fell asleep not long after I started reading to you." He told her as she relaxed back against the fluffy pillows, tipping her head back as she closed her eyes and pinched her nose with her index finger and thumb.

"I see... reading always does put me to sleep..." she murmured quietly, trying to keep her voice down so it wouldn't cause another coughing attack, "You probably shouldn't be so close... you might catch whatever I have... really, I'll be fine. You can go home." She tried to say but Shunsui wouldn't have it. He always was a stubborn man.

"I'll be okay. I take vitamin C every day so I think I'll be fine. You just worry about getting yourself better okay?" He asked with a small smile as he reached up to pat her head softly, "Are you feeling any better?" He asked her, Nanao pondering the question for a moment or two before shaking her head.

"Not really... my throat is still scratchy and my head is starting to hurt again..." she murmured and he put his large palm against her forehead which really ended up covering the entire thing.

"Hmm... your fever has gone down but it's still there. It hasn't been six hours yet so I can't get you another pill to take. Should I call Captain Unohana and see what she suggests?" He asked her to which she shook her head.

"No... don't bother her with something trivial." She said which made Shunsui raise an eyebrow.

"Your health isn't trivial."

"It's a cold, captain... she'll probably just suggest fluids and rest which is exactly what I'm doing at the moment." She retorted as she motioned to herself laying in the bed, making Shunsui chuckle as he shook his head.

"And you call me stubborn." he teased to which she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "And what happened to you calling me Shunsui?" He asked her to which she blushed faintly and looked away.

"You are stubborn... and you only said that in reference to the dates we went on." She reminded him and he leaned against the pillows, propping an elbow up on the headboard as he smirked at her, "And I'm pretty sure this doesn't count as a date."

He shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled lightly at her, "It could be. We're spending time together. I mean, it isn't the best of circumstances but I get the chance to take care of my Nanao-chan. I never get to do that." He mused, Nanao looking at him inquisitively before she sighed quietly.

"I guess you're right... but I never wanna go on this kind of date again." She said which made him laugh brightly.

"Then we'll have to make sure you stay in tip top shape." He told her, going to make her some more tea since she'd mentioned fluids.

* * *

As the day progressed Nanao's illness didn't really get much better. In fact it seemed to get worse. Towards dinner time she could barely stomach food so Shunsui was pretty much only able to feed her crackers and ginger ale. She still hadn't thrown up but her appetite had gone down to basically zero. He hated seeing her like this. She was still in her room beneath the covers but the poor thing just couldn't warm up for the life of her. He'd found nearly all the blankets he could and she had at least a pile that went up six inches but her chills were persistent. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked her hair, "I'm sorry Nanao-chan... I hate seeing you so ill..." he murmured quietly, Nanao whimpering softly which only made him frown deeper.

"Trust me... I don't like being sick either..." she managed to say, her voice even showing how sick she was. With her stopped up nose her normal voice sounded a little deeper and groggy. At this point she was on her second box of tissues and her waste basket had been changed out and was empty once more. Shunsui had gone on a quick run to the fourth despite Nanao's protests and got some decongestants as well as some cough drops and a more powerful fever reducer. All of which were now sitting in bottles on her beside dresser. He fixed her some broth to go with the crackers so she could eat a little something else for dinner than just crackers alone. When he went out to the fourth he also made a quick stop at his own home to get a few things for himself and now had a pallet set up on the couch in her room, determined to stay by her side in case she needed him.

He was at a loss for a moment. She was having such a cold chill but she was literally covered in over a dozen blankets. Shunsui thought for a moment before an idea struck him. Though... it was a complete long shot and he highly doubted Nanao would go along with his idea, "Nanao-chan... I have an idea that might take away the chills." He said to her, Nanao glancing up at him with her eyes barely open.

"Mnnn...? And what is that...?" She asked quietly, dabbing at her nose with the tissue.

Shunsui cleared his throat softly and he smiled faintly at her, "You can say no. It's a bit far fetched. But I think it'll work... you have the chills but the blankets aren't helping you. Your hands are ice cold and I can only imagine your feet are as well. If... you let me lay down beside you my body heat might warm you up." He said, finally getting to his point which made her eyes widen.

"W-what?! What gave you that idea-?" She began to ask but the sudden spike in volume in her voice made her cough again, holding the tissue to her mouth. Was he serious? Surely he wasn't. She didn't think he'd actually try to make a move while she was sick. Would he? Her thoughts were interrupted when he spoke again.

"I know. It sound crazy. But I think it would work. You can just try it for a bit and if your chills don't go away I'll move to the couch and leave you be." He said, Nanao pondering it for a moment before she sighed, giving him a slight nod.

"Okay..." she barely whispered and Shunsui smiled lightly. She really just didn't want to argue anymore. She just wanted to sleep and if this would shut him up then she'd let him try it. Shunsui smiled lightly at her and he moved off the bed, grabbing his bag that had a pair of sleeping trousers, heading into the bathroom to change. He came back out a few moments later and if Nanao wasn't already flushed from her fever seeing him emerge from the bathroom definitely would have had her turning crimson. He had on a simple black pair of sleeping pants that hung low on his hips, not wearing a shirt which gave her a full view of his bare upper body that had brown curls along his chest, her eyes glancing downward along his abs to see those curls appear again at his naval to extend down in a little happy trail that disappeared beneath his trousers. Nanao couldn't tell if it was the fever making her body hot or what but she adverted her eyes before anything else happened. Shunsui reached up to pull the delicate pins out of his hair and then the tie, letting his mane of brown locks free.

At this point Nanao had her eyes squeezed shut but her heart was racing inside her chest. She felt the covers shift and Shunsui turned down most of them from the other half of the bed simply so he wouldn't suffocate under them. He seemed to hesitate for a moment as he looked down at her, "Are you sure this is okay?" He asked, just wanting to give her one more chance to back out in case she had second thoughts. She gave a quick little nod followed by a sniffle and Shunsui reached over to turn the lamp off, then he settled beneath the covers. The next thing Nanao felt was two strong arms wrapping around her and soon she felt his overly warm torso pressing against her back, immediately flooding her own body with his warmth. Shunsui couldn't help but smile lightly. He could feel her racing pulse in the way he held her. It was a loose but secure hold. Almost like a protective one, "There... try to get some sleep okay?" He murmured to her, chills running down her spine as she felt his breath tickle her ear.

By the gods he would be the death of her.

Nanao managed to nod and squeaked out an "I will" before clearing her throat and falling silent. Though she was amazed that his idea actually began to work. In only fifteen minutes she could feel her chills ceasing and she felt her hands and feet and other spots that felt cold began to feel like a normal temperature. Her shivering came to a stop and after about half an hour she was silent and still. After a while her heart finally calmed down and when Shunsui ever so softly murmured her name, there wasn't a reply.

Nanao was fast asleep.

It made him smile lightly. It also made him think. He wondered if Nanao was enjoying the dates as much as she said she was. Was she actually giving him a chance at courting her? He knew he didn't have the best track record when it came to dating but never once did he stray to others if he was in a relationship. He never cheated on a lover and never planned to start. He just hoped she was giving him a real chance. But now wasn't the time to bring that up. He was going to take care of his Nanao-chan and nurse her back to health. Even if it got him sick. He wanted to care for her. She took care of him on way too many occasions for him to count. It was the least he could do and now she was sleeping peacefully. In his arms.

The thought made him smile.

Ever so slowly he reached up to stroke her hair, Nanao stirring lightly but only to readjust herself a bit, "Good night Nanao-chan..." he whispered quietly to her before his grey eyes closed, going to try and get some sleep himself. It didn't take long at all. Within a few minutes the master of sleep was passed out as well, contently snuggled up with his poor sick Nanao. Hopefully when she woke the next morning she would remember she agreed to this arrangement and wouldn't freak out. But at the moment, Shunsui would just enjoy sleeping curled up next to her. He would take whatever consequences happened to him in the morning.

They would be worth it.

* * *

 **THE FOLLOWING MORNING**

To Nanao's shock she actually slept through the night without waking up from being sick. She slept well into the next morning, a couple of hours later than when she normally woke up anyways. She was content, warm and... curled up to someone. She opened her eyes slightly, letting them adjust to the light that managed to sneak past the curtains. When her eyes adjusted she realized just what kind of position she was in. She'd moved during the night, turning around so that she was now partially laying atop him with her head tucked against his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his broad chest with his own wrapped securely around her in return, his large palms propped on her back. Her cheeks turned a rosy red and she slowly moved to pull away but Shunsui merely shifted and with a small pull of his arms she found herself right back where she started. _When did I roll over like this...?_ she asked herself as she swallowed lightly, laying her head back down on his shoulder. She wasn't going to fight it. If she got herself worked up then she'd go into a coughing fit and would wake him up in the process so she was just going to lay there for a bit longer and just enjoy the silence.

But while she did so she took the moment to look him over. His hair was still messy and curly, some hanging down in his face as he slept, which, really kind of looked attractive. His features were soft as he slept peacefully, his lips slightly parted as he breathed in and out. Her eyes trailed down to his throat and shoulders and then to his chest. Before her brain had a moment to process her movements, her hand was already on the move, gently brushing over the brown curls that covered his chest. She'd never paid too close attention to him like this. Then again she'd never seen him this... unclothed before. His chest hair extended down to his abs, not as heavily but there was a little bit. He was certainly built, as she expected. Her fingers trailed to his arm that also had a thin layer of fine hair, nipping on her lip. Nanao had never admitted this to anyone but she found body hair (especially on the arms) extremely attractive. She didn't know why. It was just a quirk of hers but Shunsui definitely fit the bill for that requirement and then some.

Her eyes then really began to wander and they slowly ran past his naval to the trail of hair that dipped beneath his sleeping trousers that were still hanging low on his hips, showing off those definition lines. She quickly realized she'd been staring and with a heavy blush she closed her eyes again. _Calm down Nanao... stop ogling him..._ she berated herself, taking a breath before she let it out. Despite her blushing and being flustered, she didn't really want to move. At least not yet. She was warm and content like this and wasn't necessarily ready for it to be over yet.

Shunsui slept soundly with Nanao in his arms for another hour or so until he finally began to stir and slowly his eyes began to flutter open, a soft hum coming from his lips which she felt vibrating through his chest. When Shunsui got his bearings he glanced down to the person wrapped in his arms and he smiled softly, "Good morning Nanao-chan..." he murmured softly in a sleepy, deep voice, one of his hands rubbing her back, "How did you sleep? How are you feeling?" He asked her quietly, stretching a little bit which made her rise up with him since she was curled up to him.

She pulled away after a few more moments and she slowly sat up, running her fingers through her hair, "Actually... pretty well... I didn't wake up any..." she said, grabbing a tissue from the box so she could blow her nose, grunting in disgust at how much came out, "Your crazy idea worked... thank you." She said to him with a small smile of gratitude, Shunsui sitting up beside her so she wouldn't have to crane her neck to look at him.

"That's great. Do you feel any better?" He asked her, reaching up to press his hand against her forehead, "Your fever is gone. It must have broken last night while you slept." He said, glad for that. She even looked better. The color was returning to her features and her eyes were clear. Maybe she wouldn't be sick for too long.

She blew her nose again and she nodded to him, "Probably... I feel so much better. Thank you for taking care of me captain. Though, you'd better get to the office." She said which made him pout. Then she flashed him a small smile, "You're already behind on your paperwork. I'll be better by tomorrow hopefully so I'll be right as rain by Friday. Which means you need to get a move on with your paperwork if you want a date this week." She teased him, making him laugh brightly before he grinned at her, taking her hand to kiss it, a gesture she'd discovered he must like doing because he'd done it to her at least thrice now.

"I'll even get yours completed too~"

* * *

And there you have it! I randomly got this idea while laying in bed one evening and I had to write it out! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Drop a review if you can and let me know what you think! ^3^ Also! If you see any spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes, PLEASE let me know! Recently I upgraded to a MacBook that likes to autocorrect EVERYTHING when I type so it will change certain words without me realizing it. I usually catch them when I proofread it but some still escape me sometimes anyways! I hope you enjoyed and please review! :)

Byakuya'sGirl90210


	6. The Fifth Date

**AN: This chapter has a very /slight/ spoiler in regards to Capain Unohana based on the events in the last arc of the manga~**

* * *

 **The Fifth Date**

After the initial beginning of Nanao's sickness, it seemed to pass rather quickly. She was in bed another two days (much to her displeasure, though Shunsui was very adamant about her staying home and resting) before finally being allowed to come back to work. She still had a cough and was still sniffly but her fever was long gone and her energy had come back. Shunsui came back to her home each evening to take care of her while she was recuperating and she had to admit that she didn't hate all the attention he was showering her with. He made sure she ate and drank plenty of fluids and always ran her a nice warm bath with the minty bath bombs he'd discovered that first day and always had her tucked into bed at her usual time. She even curled up to him and let him read to her. It was his own special little treat and he treasured it. They read from both "The Divine Comedy" and "The Phantom of the Opera", alternating between the two as a compromise. Though she liked the attention he gave her she was very glad to be back at the barracks. When she went into the office she was surprised to already see Shunsui, sitting at his desk scribbling away at his work, "Captain? You're already here?" She asked him, Shunsui finally looking up from his papers. He gave her a smile but she could see from the circles under his eyes that he'd been up a while. But, while he may have been tired that didn't stop him from giving her his usual bright grin, "How long have you been here?" She asked him, walking over to her desk where her eyes widened. Where was her work?

Before she could question it Shunsui leaned back in his chair, placing his pen down, "I've been here since about 7:30 or so. I did your paperwork before mine. Even though you can come back to the division I don't want you to strain yourself." He told her, Nanao looking at him as if she almost didn't believe him. He was there that early? Was hell freezing over? She walked over to him and placed her hand across his forehead, making him blink questioningly, "Ah... Nanao-chan?" He began but she shushed him, retracting her hand a moment later.

"You don't feel warm. Have you lost your mind? You never come in before nine." She said as she put her hands on her hips, making him chuckle quietly.

"Like I said. I didn't want you to strain yourself since this is your first day back." He answered her simply with a shrug of his shoulders. She huffed quietly as she walked over to her desk, looking it over before she glanced back over to him.

"What about the work I missed while I was out? I have three days of work that I need to catch up on." She said, trying to find any papers that needed her attention but her desk was untouched. It looked just like she left it on Friday before she went home to change for the festival.

Shunsui put a hand against his chest as he leaned back in his chair, giving an exasperated sigh and a playful look like he'd been hurt, "Does my Nanao-chan have that little faith in me~? I did your work as well. I've been a good boy catching up with everything." He explained to her, nearly bursting out in laughter at the look on her face. She was looking at him like he had suddenly grew a second head.

"You... did my paperwork as well? Without me here telling you to?" She asked to which he nodded eagerly like a child. She lifted up some books on her desk, as if trying to find papers he might have hidden to make it seem that his story was true. In the end she couldn't find even a single piece of scratch paper. Shunsui just watched her with an amused look on his face and when she leaned against her desk to look at him he gave her a warm smile.

"Yes Nanao. You were sick. I wasn't about to let your work load pile up on you. That would have been mean to make you go through all those papers after having been sick a few days." He said to her, chuckling softly at an afterthought that came to mind, "Besides, I fear the wrath of my Nanao-chan when I don't do my paperwork."

She gave him an "I can bullshit" stare as she put a hand on her hip, "Oh please. I have to drag you by your fingernails to get you in here to do your work. I think you secretly like it." She teased to which Shunsui gave her a devious smirk.

"What can I say? I think Nanao-Chan is sexy when she's feisty." He mused which caused Nanao's cheeks to warm. She quickly turned away before he could see and she let out a soft sigh.

"In any case... thank you captain. I appreciate it." She said, glancing back at him with a little smile. He nodded to her when she voiced her thanks and then she walked over to his desk, picking up his stack of papers to look over, "If you'd like, I can do these and you can go lay down in your quarters here and take a nap. You've worked hard taking care of me and the division. It's the least I can do. To thank you." She said with a small smile, Shunsui blinking his grey eyes. She just said he could go take a nap? An uninterrupted nap? During work? Hell must have been freezing over for Nanao of all people to let him go take a nap during office hours. A soft chuckle came from his lips a few moments later and he smiled at her.

"Thank you Nanao-chan. I appreciate the offer. However, I still don't want you to strain yourself so I can finish these papers up and then go take a nap." He suggested, m aking Nanao raise an eyebrow as she looked down at him, "Though~ I wouldn't hate it if my reward was another date my lovely Nanao-Chan~" he chimed, Nanao rolling her eyes as she chuckled.

"Have an idea for a date do you?" She asked him, Shunsui smirking as he winked at her.

"I have a whole book of date ideas that I'd like to do with you Nanao-chan~ All you have to do is say yes." He told her, Nanao chuckling as she shook her head.

"I guess I can agree to that." She said, giving him back his papers before going to the door, "I'm going to walk around the barracks and see if anyone needs assistance with anything. Oh! I also have a Women's Association meeting today. I'll be leaving at lunchtime." She said to him, Shunsui nodding to her and giving her a smile before she headed out.

* * *

Along the way to the meeting, Nanao's mind was running. She hadn't been very open to anyone save Rangiku about her dating Shunsui. Yet she knew women could gossip and so she was mentally preparing for a cyclone of questions they'd be asking her. Either way, her walk was short so she didn't have much longer to prepare herself. She went inside their usual meeting place at Squad Four and headed down the hallway to their designated room. When she went inside there were a few people already there. Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kusajishi were already present, as was Rangiku and Momo who were trying to place out snacks before the bubble gum haired Lieutenant could snag them all. When Rangiku saw Nanao she smiled and waved, "Hey Nanao! Glad you could make it. Are you feeling better?" She asked her, Nanao giving her a friendly smile as she nodded, reaching for one of the cream pastries on the platter.

"I'm feeling much better. I rested at home and now I'm almost back to 100%. I still have a little cough but I'm much better." She answered as she walked over to her usual seat.

Rangiku followed her and sat down beside her, "That's good. I was worried. I wanted to come by and bring soup or something but I'm guessing you already had help." She mused, a little devious smirk on her lips as she took a bite of her own snack. Nanao mentally sweated a bit but she remained calm on the outside. Retsu passed out cups of hot tea as more ladies joined the group, including Kiyone and Isane Koutetsu and Nemu.

She cleared her throat softly and took a quick sip of her tea, "Yes. Captain Kyouraku came by to check on me ever so often and pretty much forced me to stay home and recuperate." She said, Momo tipping her head as she looked over her way

"You've been spending some more time with your captain I've noticed. Has he been slacking on his paperwork?" She asked with a soft chuckle, Nanao shaking her head.

"Actually, it's the opposite. He's been getting his work done and on time recently. It's been a nice change of pace." She answered her, Kiyone giggling as she smirked at her.

"Yeah, because you agreed to go on dates with him." She said, Momo and Isane both looking back to Nanao who began to blush, "I overheard Captain Kyouraku talking to Captain Ukitake about it when they had tea a few weeks ago." She mused, only making Nanao blush even further.

"I... well-" she began but Captian Unohana interjected for her.

"I think that if that's something Nanao wishes to speak about, then she will bring it up herself. It's not polite to eavesdrop on private conversations Kiyone." She said in that sweet yet terrifying voice that had Kiyone swallowing and nodding quickly, "In any case, if that is true then I wish you two the best." She said, giving Nanao a warm smile that had her relaxing a little more.

"Thank you captain... I mean... it is true that he has taken me on several dates. A few weeks ago I made a wager with him that if he completed his work on time then every Friday he could take me out on a date. So far we've both withheld our ends of the bargain." Nanao told them, a few raising their eyebrows.

"And... have you enjoyed the dates? Like are you guys a couple?" Isane asked next, carefully treading her words so she wasn't corrected by her own captain. Nanao had to think about that for a moment. Were they officially a couple? They'd never really discussed that. And he'd never asked her so she didn't know herself.

"I... honestly can't answer that. We've never made anything official." She said, her hands fiddling with the obi of her shihakushou. Captain Unohana smiled softly as she gazed at the nervous Nanao.

"I can tell you why that is." She said, Nanao blinking as she gave her her attention, "It's because deep down Shunsui is a romantic at heart. When he's truly interested in a woman, he takes his time. He doesn't rush things. He builds up to a courtship. He's had flings in the past yes. But for as long as I've known him, I've never known him to go on multiple dates with someone he wasn't romantically interested in." She said, Nanao's eyes widening slightly behind her glasses. It made her both nervous and happy to hear. If what she said was true then Shunsui really was interested in her and that she wasn't just dreaming.

Rangiku nodded and she gave Nanao a smile, "That's what I've been saying! Look, just keep going on dates with him. Eventually he'll ask you to make it official and bam!" She said, clapping her hands together for emphasis which made Nanao chuckle.

"Okay... we'll see how it goes. Right now let's get down to business and talk about our upcoming projects." Nanao said, feeling better about herself and dating Shunsui after talking to the ladies. She knew that despite being way too eager at times, they could really help her if needed. The women nodded and got to work, discussing certain topics and projects they had in plan for the upcoming year, only taking about an hour or so before they disbanded and went back to their squads. Nanao went back to the 8th and headed to her shared office where Shunsui was waiting for her.

When he heard the door open he looked up and smiled when he saw Nanao come into the office, "Lovely Nanao-chan~ How was your meeting?" He asked her as she went to sit down. Like earlier, there wasn't a single page of paperwork on her desk. He was really diligent that day it seemed.

"It was fine. We got our business done and then we chatted a little bit as we usually do." She said, being very vague since she didn't want to bring up the topic of their dating just yet.

He put his pen down and leaned back in his chair, tipping his head as he smiled her way, "Oh? Anything interesting come up in the conversation?" He asked her, Nanao fighting off the blush as she shook her head.

"Nothing too interesting really. Just caught up with one another." She answered, again vague but he seemed to accept that answer.

"That's good. So~ I was thinking about a date this Friday if you're up to it." He said randomly, her heart skipping a beat as she looked at him, "Actually. More like a double date." He added to which she raised an eyebrow.

"A double date? With whom?" She asked him, Shunsui smiling brightly as he leaned back in his chair.

"With Jushiro and Retsu! I was thinking we all go somewhere." He said, Nanao humming and tapping her chin. A double date sounded fun. And it was with Jushiro and Retsu so she imagined it would be a rather mild evening.

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" She asked him, to which he grinned and winked at her.

"That's a surprise my lovely Nanao-chan~ But I have a think you're going to have fun." He answered, making her all the more curious as to what he had in mind for them. She smiled and nipped her lip a little bit.

"Oh? Are you going to send a little gift and note to my home like you've done in past weeks?" She asked, Shunsui chuckling and shrugging his shoulders.

"I guess you'll have to wait and find out won't you~?" He replied which made her pout cutely. Though really she was quite excited. He hadn't disappointed with his past dates he'd taken her on so she didn't think this one would be different. She liked his surprises anyways.

"I guess I can wait then. To bad it's only Tuesday" she mused, Shunsui laughing and nodding.

"My thoughts exactly sweetheart. My thoughts exactly."

* * *

 **LATER THAT WEEK**

As the week went on Nanao went about her usual business. She'd go to work and go home, occasionally seeing Rangiku for a bit. They'd walk together until the paths took them their separate ways, and today was no different. The two casually walked along the paths together, Nanao's hand tucked in her sleeves while Rangiku held hers behind her head, "So, he tell you where he's taking you this week or is he surprising you again?" Rangiku asked her, the busty woman looking Nanao's way.

She shook her head and untucked her hands from her sleeves so she could push her glasses up her nose, "Nope. I think keeping it a surprise will be a common pattern for him. Besides... I rather like the surprise." She said, giving Rangiku a small smile which made her giggle.

"Oh~? You like receiving the roses with the notes attached to them? That's quite romantic. Who knew Captain Kyouraku had it in him? A womanizer, yes. But a romantic? It's almost cute." She mused with a smile, Nanao rolling her eyes before returning her hands to their former position inside her sleeves.

"They're nice. Definitely something I didn't expect him to do but I'm not complaining. Besides, I like the surprise. And I haven't been disappointed yet so we'll see if he keeps out doing himself. Though... I'm not sure he could do better than the book store." She said to her, Rangiku nodding as she hummed.

"I wonder what else he has in mind. You said he suggested a double date this time?" She asked, Nanao nodding as the path curved and took them into a small wooded area. Nanao loved walking through here. It was a serene spot that lit up in colors in the fall and blossoms in the spring. Often times she'd come there to read in the shade of the large trees not too far off.

"Yeah. With Captain Ukitake and Captain Unohana. I didn't even know they were a thing. If they are, they certainly keep it low key." She mused one finger tapping the wrist of her other hand.

Rangiku touched her chin with a finger and turned her powder blue eyes up towards the partly clouded sky above them, "It is interesting, isn't it? Though if I had to pair them with anyone it'd be each other. They'd make an adorable couple. Especially with the Doctor-patient thing. Don't you think?" She asked with a grin which made Nanao chuckle. Rangiku was certainly something and a wannabe match maker was one of them.

"I guess so. They're both quiet individuals and they both have good qualities about them. They're both very formal and polite and do their job diligently. All their squad members look up to them. Captain Unohana is often seen as a stern but kind mother figure and Captain Ukitake is the teddy bear father figure." She said, humming softly as they approached the fork in the road where they would depart from one another, "I'll see you for lunch tomorrow. One I send all the mail out to its proper destinations I'll message you and meet you at your office." She said, Rangiku giving her a thumbs up before they parted ways, Nanao deciding the flash the rest of the way home. When she arrived she went inside and placed her badge on the table, taking off her shoes and slipping on her slippers before walking through the house. She went to the kitchen and put a kettle of water on to make some tea and then headed to her book case to grab a book. Nanao hummed and checked the date, a little smile twitching at her lips. As the kettle warmed she pulled out her phone, typing up a message to send to Shunsui, then she went to pour her water since she didn't like it piping hot.

Shunsui had just walked in the door and was removing his haori to put away when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and smiled when he saw who it was from and he opened the message to read it.

 _It's been a week or so. We should probably check in and see if the book case materials came in._

Quickly his fingers got to work answering her and he pressed send, quickly sending it back to Nanao who was heading upstairs to change while her tea seeped.

 _I'm on it. I'll let you know in the coming minutes. ;)_

Nanao chuckled when she saw the winky face, shaking her head as she went into her bedroom. She changed into a pair of lounge pants and a loose fitting tee shirt she'd gotten from the living world when he was stationed there for a brief mission. It was always her go to when she was going to read a book. She headed back down and finished making her tea, then she headed to the den to sit in her favorite plush chair. She opened her phone and sent him a message back.

 _Don't go out of your way. I can check tomorrow after work._

She quickly typed up the reply and pressed send, curling up in the chair with her legs tucked under her. Nanao took a long sip of her jasmine oolong tea, humming as the hot liquid made its way down her throat. She'd just opened her book when her phone chimed again, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the message.

 _Too late. ;) I'm already here. The shelf parts are here. Shall I bring them over?_

Nanao chuckled quietly and typed back a 'Sure' and then set her phone on the table beside her chair. He sent her back a thumbs up and then her phone fell silent. She turned the ringer down before delving into her book, one of the new ones Shunsui had bought her. It was one she'd never read before and the synopsis on the back of the cover made it seem right up her alley. She enjoyed her tea and book for a good half hour before there was a knock on her door. She seemed to have missed the first few because a harder and louder knock jolted her from her little world. She put the book down after marking her place and she got up, heading to the door to open it. Shunsui was there with a rather large box at his side, making Nanao blink, "Special delivery~" he chimed with a smile.

She stepped outside to look at the box. It was rather huge, nearly as tall as she was, "How did you get this here?" She asked him as she walked around the large box.

Shunsui shrugged his broad shoulders before giving her a proud smirk, "I used a special kidou binding spell that allows the user to lift heavy objects." He answered her, demonstrating by placing his hand on it, chanting a small sentence before the box began to rise up off the porch. Shunsui walked into the house, guiding the box along with him to the specified place that Nanao wanted it. Nanao raised an eyebrow as he took it inside and she put a hand on her hip.

"Oh? I didn't realize you knew that kind of kidou spell." She said, Shunsui chuckling as he cast her a little wink.

"I'm full of surprises Nanao-chan~" he told her with a devious little smirk, "I sometimes listen in on your kidou techniques training whenever you hold it." He admitted, kind of surprising her really, "You should hold it more often. It's a really good training opportunity. Lots of shinigami struggle with kidou and can benefit from a course like that." He said as he started to open the box up, pulling out the boards and pieces to put the elaborate shelf together.

She leaned against the wall as she watched him unpack the box, "I would, but I don't have a lot that come to the initial class in the first place. There's not a big demand for it." She said, sounding a little dismayed by it really. Shunsui looked behind him to look at Nanao and he gave her a small smile.

"Well, we could make it a required training course. Like each squad member has to attend at least one training session per week. We already have combat training sessions every week. Why not add a kidou course?" He suggested, making her eyes widen slightly, "Besides, you love teaching the class. And since I get my paperwork done myself you'll have lots of free time to kill." He added with a smirk, making her chuckle softly.

"That is true. I'd be open to a weekly kidou course. Maybe two or three days a week." She said, reaching down to pick up the instructions, reading over them silently.

Shunsui was glad she liked the idea. He figured she'd like doing a course that got her outside. He had noticed over the years she liked being outside. During her free time she'd be outside reading or just enjoying the fresh air, "Then I'll get to work setting it up. Just choose the days you want to do it and I'll have sign up lists made." He told her, Nanao nodding before opening the booklet and looking through it.

"These instructions look really complicated... you sure you've got this?" She asked him, Shunsui chuckling as he smiled at her.

"I think I have it. I know I'm not good at following instructions but I'll do my best for my Nanao-chan." He mused, making her chuckle as she handed them back to him. He spent a little time organizing the different pieces, putting similar parts with others and putting the different nuts and bolts into little piles separate from one another, "Okay. Let's see here." He murmured to himself as he looked over the instructions, starting to slowly put each piece where it was supposed to be, getting the various tools Nanao provided to piece them together.

After about half an hour or so Nanao decided to go to the kitchen and make some tea. She put the kettle on the stove before peeking her head back out, watching as Shunsui brushed some sweat from his forehead, "I'm making some tea. You want anything?" She asked him, the man smiling at her with a nod.

"Water would be great. I'm starting to work up a sweat." He said to her with a soft chuckle, Nanao giving him a thumbs up before she disappeared back into the kitchen to make the tea. She put the tea leaves into the kettle to seep and then grabbed a glass, putting ice into it before filling it with water.

She began to make her way back into the living room, the glass in hand, "So, any hints on what I need to wear-" she began to ask but she stopped dead in her tracks with her eyes widening. In the time that it took her to go into the kitchen and get the water for him, Shunsui had managed to loosen his obi enough to shrug off the top of his kimono, it now secured around his hips, leaving his toros teasingly bare, "S-Shunsui!" she said, not realizing until it was too late that the glass slipped from her hand until she heard it shatter on the ground, water, ice and glass going everywhere. Shunsui blinked and looked behind him when he heard the glass shatter and he immediately stood up.

"Nanao? Are you okay?" he asked her, Nanao quickly bending down to start frantically picking up the glass.

"S-sorry! I wasn't expecting you to take your shirt off and it startled me." she said shyly as she began to pick up the chunks of glass from the floor. Shunsui knelt down beside her.

"Nanao, let's get a broom for that." he said, Nanao shaking her head, a heavy blush on her cheeks.

"No no! I have it! It's okay!" she tried to say, but in her slight panic she wasn't paying attention and one bad reach put her palm over a shard with a razor sharp edge. The next thing Shunsui heard was a sharp gasp and Nanao dropped the glass she'd already gathered, using that hand to cup the other one, "Damn…" she murmured quietly.

Shunsui smiled softly and he put his hands on her shoulders, jolting her back into reality, "Nanao…. it's okay. Come here." he said in a soft voice, slowly guiding her to stand back up.

She looked back down at the glass and shook her head, "We need to get that cleaned up." she tried to say but Shunsui wouldn't ease his grip on her shoulders.

"It's okay. I'll get it. We need to take care of your hand first." he said, Nanao finally relenting and walking to the kitchen with him, sitting down at the table. About that time the kettle began to whistle and so he took it off the heat, taking the tea leaves out so the tea wouldn't get too strong. He grabbed a towel and dampened it with warm water and he took it back to her, "Put that one it while I get the first aid." he instructed, Nanao nodding and pointing with her good hand to where the first aid kit was. He quickly located it and opened it up, pulling out some bandages and antibacterial spray. He grabbed another damp rag and tweezers and knelt down in front of her, taking her injured hand, "Okay. Let's see the damage." he mused, pulling away the towel. He smiled and looked up at her, casting her a wink, "I think you'll live." he teased, making her smile a little bit. He gently took the tweezers and plucked out any little shards stuck to her hand and then he wiped the blood away. He took the spray and shook it a little, "This might sting a little." he said before spraying a bit over the cut. She winced but it was bearable. He took some gauze and wrapped it around her hand, making sure it was nice and secure before he tucked the end of it into itself, "There we go." he said, lifting her hand to kiss her palm softly, making her blush.

"T-thank you." she murmured, her heart racing in her chest as he lowered her hand.

He stood up and gave her a charming smile, going to pour her some tea, "You're welcome. Drink some tea and relax and I can clean up the spill." he told her, grabbing the dust pan and hand broom as well as a towel. He dabbed the towel around the water to soak it up and then he carefully swept the glass into the dustpan, making sure to get it all. He then took it to the trash can and dumped the glass into it before returning the dustpan and broom to their spot. Nanao couldn't look away from him as he worked to clean the mess up. She was getting quite distracted since he was still shirtless and going about like nothing was wrong. It was keeping that blush firmly on her cheeks, that was for sure. When he returned to her he sat down and he smiled, "Does it still sting?" he asked her, Nanao quickly shaking her head as she looked down at her hand.

"No. Not anymore. The spray has a numbing agent in it so it doesn't hurt at all." she said, Shunsui nodding. That was good, "S-sorry about that. I just wasn't expecting… you to have your shirt off and it shocked me." she said, making him chuckle as he shook his head.

"It's okay. I'm sorry. I should have asked first. It was just getting warm in there and it was just the first thing I thought of. I can put it back on if it makes you more comfortable." he said, Nanao blinking before she shook her head quickly.

"No! It's okay. You can keep it off. I-I mean… if you're hot that is." she said, getting all the more flustered which was making her all the cuter.

He smirked and playfully poked her nose, "Ohhh~ Does my sweet Nanao-chan like seeing me shirtless?" he asked her, his smile only growing larger when he saw as she blushed hotter,

"That's not what I meant…!" she tried to say but Shunsui laughed softly as he stood up, bending down to press a kiss to her forehead which didn't help her blush situation.

"I'm only teasing Nanao-chan. I'm going to grab some water and then I'll get back to work on the shelf. I'm almost finished." he told her, grabbing a new glass to get some water and then he headed back into the den to start back on the shelf. Nanao stood up with her tea and followed him, sitting down in the cushy chair not too far away. Shunsui knelt down on the floor and continued to work, not taking much longer to finish putting everything together. After another half hour or so Nanao's attention was brought away from her book at the sound of hands brushing together, "There we go! All finished." he said as he stood up.

Smiling, Nanao put down her book and stood up, walking over to inspect the shelf, "It's beautiful. Thank you for putting it together Shunsui." she said, the man smiling brightly at her as he playfully put his hand on his stomach and bowed.

"You're welcome madame. Now, want to put the books onto it from the book store?" he asked her, Nanao nodding eagerly before turning to go get the box of books, hauling it over to the shelf.

She placed it on the floor between them and reached down to start picking them up, one by one, "I normally alphabetize them by author but for now let's just get them on the shelf. I can organize them later." she said, Shunsui giving her a thumbs up before getting to work with her. It didn't take long for them to get all the books on the shelf, and once the last one was tucked into place Nanao stepped back with a smile, "There! Perfect." she said, smiling over at Shunsui who was donning a smile of his own towards her. She really was too cute sometimes.

"Indeed so. We make a good team." he said, Nanao nodding to him, "How's your hand doing?" he asked her, Nanao lifting up her injured hand.

"It's fine. It isn't hurting. I'll take the bandage off later to let it breath some." she said, Shunsui nodding. That was a good idea. Letting it breathe would help the healing process. Nanao checked the time and she hummed softly, "I didn't realize how late into the afternoon it was. I promised Rangiku I'd go shopping with her in the Rukongai." she said, almost pouting a little bit. It meant she'd have to part ways with Shunsui soon. And to be quite honest… she didn't really want to. She had been enjoying their afternoon together. But, a promise was a promise and she wasn't about to cancel plans for a guy. She'd see Shunsui at work.

The man smiled and shook his head, "Say no more. I don't want to overstay my welcome. I enjoyed our afternoon together. Give Rangiku a hello from me." he said with a smile, Nanao nodding with one herself. She walked him to the door and opened it for him, Shunsui taking her hand to kiss it, "I'll see you tomorrow sweetheart." he told her, his voice a little lower than usual which made her body tingle a bit, a soft blush rising in her cheeks.

"G-goodbye. Yes, I'll see you tomorrow." she answered him, waiting for him to be a good ways off before she closed the door behind her. She sank down to the floor and let out a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair as her heart raced in her chest. What was this man doing to her?

* * *

 **FRIDAY AFTERNOON**

By Friday afternoon, Nanao was nearly bursting from not knowing where their double date was to be held. Shunsui was in a happier mood than usual (if that was possible) and he kept giving Nanao teasing little statements about the mystery date. She was working on a recon report when Shunsui mentioned (probably for the umpteenth time) how fun it was going to be, and she placed her pen down, "Shunsui, if you're going to keep teasing me about how much fun the date is going to be I will tie you up and tickle your feet until you either turn blue in the face or you tell me where we're going." she threatened him, a playful little smirk on her face.

The man grinned at her and he licked his lips, "Ohhh~? Has Nanao-chan thought about tying me up before? So naughty Nanao-chan!" he teased which only had her flushing bright red. How he could turn it back on her without batting an eye never ceased to amaze her. He was always full of surprises it seemed. Though, that was one thing she liked about him. He was quick on his toes with witty come backs and on occasion she found herself laughing at his antics and remarks. However, this time he had managed to succeed in getting her flustered… again.

"T-that's not what I meant captain!" she grumbled as he ran her hand down her face, sighing softly in defeat before she picked up her pen, "What am I supposed to wear for this evening's festivities?" she asked him next, hoping he could give her some sort of hint so she could prepare for the evening.

Shunsui only chuckled and he tipped his head, "I'm only teasing sweetheart. Besides, giving you hints would only ruin the surprise, would it not?" he asked her curiously, making her pout a bit. She hated when he was right, "You'll have fun. I promise." he told her, Nanao knowing that he wouldn't disappoint. He'd done a wonderful job with their previous dates.

"Mnnnn fine. You win." she said, sticking her tongue out at him which earned her a hearty laugh from her captain. After giving a playful roll of her eyes she got back to work, busily scribbling her signature on the proper documents. After a few minutes Shunsui's gaze drifted back to his Nanao-chan, simply studying her as she worked. He found himself doing that a lot. Secretly catching glimpses of his lieutenant as she worked on her papers but… something seemed different about her. He'd known her since she was a child, when she was first assigned to his squad at the time Lisa was still his lieutenant. He had watched her blossom into a young lady and into a woman. The woman who was now sitting at her desk across the room, eyebrows furrowed as she read over the report that was currently nabbing her attention. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous of that lucky document getting her attention.

Though… he never really knew when it was that he began to see her differently. Sure he'd playfully tease and flirt with her sometimes in the past just to get a rise out of her but… he began to see her in different ways, subtly over time. He'd notice how her expressions changed depending on her emotions. How her lips would turn up in the faintest of smirks when she was being playful, or how her eyebrows furrowed like they were currently when she was engrossed in her work. He especially loved the little lines on the corners of her eyes when she laughed, how she gave the loveliest of smiles as she did so. It often confused him at how such a beautiful woman never had a man by her side. Someone to hold and cherish her, caress her and… Shunsui had to shake his head before his thoughts turn a turn, clearing his throat softly which grabbed Nanao'a attention, "Everything okay?" she asked him, Shunsui glancing back to her before flashing her a smile.

"Yes Nanao-chan. Everything is fine. Just got a little distracted with my thoughts is all." he said to her, earning him as smile and a nod from her before they both returned to their work. Shunsui concentrated again and his pen slowly began to write again, though he could hardly concentrate. He was both excited and nervous about taking her out tonight. Mostly because he wasn't sure how she would like this date. It would most certainly be out of her comfort zone, something that was more up Shunsui's alley, but he would assure her that if she wasn't enjoying herself that they didn't have to stay. He had a backup plan for if that happened. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her in any way. He'd come so far, he didn't want to lose her now.

The two worked on their reports until they both finished, Nanao standing up to collect both stacks of papers, "I'll take these to the mail room to be sent out. I… guess I'll see you tonight." she said with a little smile. Shunsui stood up and nodded, bending down to kiss her forehead which made her blush.

"I look forward to it sweetheart." he told her, watching her leave before his smile softened. He pulled out his phone and sent Unohana and Ukitake a message, confirming the meeting time and place. So far, everything was going as expected. He organized his desk a little bit and then he returned home, going to take a shower and freshen up before their evening double date would begin.

Nanao went home herself after finishing her errands around the Squad, seeming to get a little nervous as she cleaned up her home a little bit, "Why are you so nervous Nanao? Snap out of it…" she said, heading to her bedroom to go take a shower. She needed to clear her head. She took a good half hour, taking her time getting clean and making sure she didn't miss an inch of skin. Once she was squeaky clean she got out and dried off, slipping on her silk robe. She rubbed the towel on her head to get the excess water out of her hair and then tied it up in the towel to soak up the rest, glancing at the clock. It was only three in the afternoon. She wondered what time he'd pick her up to go meet up with the others. She was curious though. While she (and a few others) wondered if anything was going on between Unohana and Ukitake, Nanao was even more convinced by this double date. She didn't care if they were. She thought they were a sweet couple together. They complimented each other nicely. Nanao dressed after a while in a simple kimono, waiting for any sign to start getting ready.

After a while she decided to make some tea to try and calm her nerves. She didn't know why she was so nervous. Her heart felt like it was racing in her chest, pounding hard in her ears. She put some tea leaves in the strainer and put the tea kettle on the stove to warm, pulling a cup out of the pantry. She glanced down at her hand that was still bandaged from cutting it the few days before. It made her smile a little, thinking about how he'd taken care of it even though it wasn't that deep of a cut. She just kept the bandage on a little while longer to humor him. Though, it still made her smile thinking about it. Nanao looked over at the book case that he put together for her, her books now organized how she liked them. she walked over to it, reaching up to slowly run her fingers down along the beautiful trim. Part of her was excited, ecstatic that this was actually happening But the other part of her was terrified. That little voice inside her was second guessing itself, and she kept on inwardly thinking about Shunsui doing this just for fun. Just to tease her like he always did. The thought of it made her heart ache. She was jolted from her thoughts when her kettle began to whistle and she quickly went to the kitchen to turn the heat off, pouring the tea into the cup she'd pulled from the cubbard earlier. Lifting it to her lips, she gently blew across the top to cool it slightly. Her eyes closed as she sighed quietly, keeping the cup held between her hands. How long had she felt this way? How long had it been since those feelings began to show themselves?

How long had it been since she realized she loved him?

It almost made her chuckle. It would be her luck. To fall in love with the one man she told herself she'd never go for. She always steered clear of the womanizers, of the men who constantly chased women. So how did Shunsui manage to worm his way through all those barriers and shields she'd made for herself? She moved to sit down and she finally took a sip of her tea. This almost seemed too good to be true. Which was why she was so terrified. Considering his past with women and alcohol and both combined at times, she never in her wildest imagination thought he'd ever look her way. He always had gorgeous women chasing after him, fawning over him and begging for his attention. Tall, slender and beautiful women who had killer bodies, women who outshone Nanao on every level. So why would he ever show interest in her? The more she thought about it the more upset she felt by it. Tears brimmed her eyes but she fought to keep them from running down her cheeks. No. She would not cry over him. He hadn't even done anything to remotely hurt her. Not yet anyways. Her cup shook in her trembling hands and eventually she had to put the cup down so she wouldn't drop it, "Keep it together Nanao…" she whispered quietly, running her fingers through her hair. She nearly fell out of her chair when she suddenly heard her phone chime. She nipped her lip and eventually reached out to pick up her phone, relaxing when she saw it was Captain Unohana on the Caller ID. She held the phone up to her ear after pressing the green phone, "H-Hello?" she greeted her, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

On the other end she heard a sweet voice, "Hello Nanao-san. I hope I'm not calling at a bad time." Unohana said on the other end. Nanao shook her head though the other woman couldn't see.

"Not at all! I was just relaxing for a bit and having tea. What can I do for you?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.

"I was calling to ask if it would be all right to stop by. Shunsui gave me some instructions and told me to help you get ready for the date. If that's okay that is." she said, Nanao clearing her throat softly.

"No no! That's perfectly fine. Besides, it could help give me a hint as to where we're going this evening for the double date." she said, Unohana smiling on the other end of the line.

"Perfect. Shunsui said to be ready to go at seven, so I'll be there around five or so." Unohana told her, Nanao checking the time on the clock she had on the wall. It was barely past three thirty now. It gave her plenty of time to calm her nerves.

"Sounds good to me. I'll see you then captain." she said, both women bidding each other farewell before hanging up. Nanao tipped her head bak with a sigh, closing her eyes as she took her glasses off, placing them on the table. She needed to distract herself. She took her cup of tea and headed back to the book shelf, pulling out a new book she'd yet to read and she headed to her favorite plush chair to cuddle up under a blanket, opening the book and flipping to the first page, her nerves instantly starting to melt away as she let herself get sucked into the world of the novel. Time always seemed to pass quickly when Nanao lost herself in a book. She never bothered to look up from it and before she knew it she was thirteen chapters deep and there was a knock at her door. She put her bookmark in between the pages to mark her spot and then she put it on the table where her cup of now cold tea lay forgotten. Once she stood she smoothed her kimono out and then went to the door, opening it where she would be met with the smiling captain of Squad Four, "Good afternoon captain. Please come in." she said, opening the door more and stepping aside so the petite captain could enter. Nanao noticed she had two bags with her, making her curious as to what was inside them. She figured it would be clothes for their double date that evening. She'd find out soon enough, "Would you like some tea?" she asked as she let her inside, the captain shaking her head.

"Thank you Nanao-san. But I think I'm all right for now. If you'll show me to your room or a guest room I can show you what I've brought for us this evening." she said, giving her a warm smile to which Nanao returned with one of her own. She motioned towards the back and began to lead the captain there.

"Sure. It's this way. So… do you know where we're going this evening?" she asked her curiously as she led her into the guest bedroom. Unohana smiled and chuckled softly as she placed the bags on the bed.

"I do. But I am to keep it a secret as best I can." she told her, making Nanao pout slightly but she nodded. She didn't want to spoil the surprise for her anyways, "Now! Let's get to the outfits for the evening. I have several different dresses for you to pick from. I didn't want to bring only one and you be uncomfortable in it, so I brought a variety." she said as she pulled various dresses out of the bag, making Nanao's eyes widen when she saw them. They even made her blush a little bit.

She slowly approached the bed and picked one up to inspect it, "They're… a little risqué don't you think?" she asked her as she cleared her throat shyly. Unohana chuckled and smiled at her, giving a slight nod.

"Yes. They are. However, both myself and Shunsui both came up with this idea for a double date. He said he wanted to go somewhere where you could let loose a little." she explained as she pulled out the rest of the dresses, along with a few pairs of shoes to choose from and some jewelry as well, "Feel free to try them all on. Find whichever makes you most comfortable to wear. We'll go from there." she said, Nanao nodding slowly as she gathered up the first dress, trying them on one after another. She was a blushing mess as she changed into the first one but… surprisingly, she wasn't as embarrassed as she thought she would be. In fact… she felt a bit sexy. Never in her life did she think she'd use that word to describe herself in any given situation. Unohana watched Nanao as she changed. She could sense her nervousness, and not from trying on the dresses, "Is everything okay Nanao? You look tense." she said to her, Nanao blinking and shaking her head.

"I-I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous is all." she answered with a sheepish smile, going back to the bed to pick up another dress to try on, quickly changing into it and looking in the mirror. Unohana studied her expressions and smiled a little when she saw Nanao's eyes widen at the dress ehe was now currently wearing. Her hands slowly ran down the black fabric slowly, Unohana tipping her head.

"You like that one Nanao?" she asked her, the lieutenant slowly nodding before she even cracked a smile.

"Yeah… I do. I actually look pretty good in it." she said as she turned ever which way to look at herself in the mirror, "I think I'll wear this one." she said with an affirmative nod.

Unohana nodded back to her and then went to look at the shoes to pair with the dress she chose. Nanao looked them over and picked the pair she thought would look the best but would also be the most comfortable to wear, "You look beautiful and sexy. Now, let's work on makeup." she said as she put a few products on the vanity nearby. Nanao sat down and let the captain work her magic. It took about half an hour but Unohana was very intricate with her work, going nice and slow so she wouldn't mess up anything. She pulled away after brushing a red lip paint across Nanao's lips, capping it and putting it away, "There. Now you're ready. You just need jewelry." she said, digging around in a pouch she brought.

Nanao looked at herself in the mirror, quiet for a moment before she felt something cool touch her neck. Unohana was placing a sparkling red pendant around her neck, "Captain… can… I ask you something?" she asked her, Unohana looking to Nanao in the mirror. She wondered when Nanao would peep up about why she was nervous. She nodded to her, pulling out a matching bracelet for Nanao to wear and she put it on her left wrist, "It's… about Shunsui…" she started quietly, though she was sure Unohana already knew what the topic of the conversation was going to be, "I… I'm really nervous… Over these past few weeks… as you know… Shunsui has been taking me out on these dates… At first, it was an incentive for him just to do his damn paperwork for once… but…" she trailed off, going quiet for a moment before she began to speak again, "I didn't think he'd actually be serious about it. I thought he'd just laugh it off, tease me about it and move on but… He actually went for it… A-and…" she began to say but Unohana figured out where she was going with it.

"And you're wondering if he's being genuine or if he's continuing to tease you like he always has." she finished, Nanao nipping her lip before she nodded and sighed quietly. Unohana smiled and knelt down in front of the frowning lieutenant, placing a hand on her knee, "Let me tell you something Nanao… never in all my years of knowing him, and there are many, have I ever seen him so keen on chasing a woman like he has you. I've never seen him so serious about taking a woman out on dates before. He's never actually settled with one woman for a long period of time." she said, Nanao knowing that perfectly well. When she was younger she couldn't remember a time where Shunsui kept a girl on his arm for longer than a week.

Nanao gave her a hint of a smile but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, "But… what makes me so special? I'm not near as pretty as half of those women I've seen him with." she said, rubbing an arm with her hand slowly.

Unohana smiled and she reached up to poke her nose, "Because you don't put up with his bullshit Nanao. You don't fawn over him like those women do that practically throw themselves at him. You've actually made him /work/ for you affections, and I don't just mean in the office. I'll be honest with you; I've never seen him so excited to take a woman out on dates before. He's certainly never taken a girl our to a book store or even a festival. I think he genuinely cares about you Nanao." she told her, watching as Nanao visibly relaxed in front of her. It was nice hearing her say that. It helped the aching feeling in her chest that had been there since earlier that afternoon.

"Thank you captain… I feel a little better." she told her, making the captain smile as she stood back up.

"Good! Now, I'm going to get ready. I'm actually quite excited about tonight. It's been a while since Jushiro and I have been able to go out somewhere. Recently work at the Fourth has been going up insanely ever since the new squad members joined the Eleventh. Injuries left and right. Always happens this time of year. When Shunsui brought up the idea of a double date I happily agreed." she said, pulling out her own dress to change into it while Nanao put in earrings that matched her necklace and bracelet.

Once she had her earrings in place, she looked over to Unohana who was brushing her hair down, sweeping it behind her, "Captain… how long have you and Captain Ukitake been involved?" she asked, merely curious since they weren't very public about it. The woman smiled at her and sat down to start going her own makeup.

"Gods… I couldn't really tell you to be honest. It's been off and on for at least a few centuries now. But the 'off' part was way back at the start. We were new to our roles as captains and we didn't want to be distracted by a relationship. We ended it for a few years but… we always came back to one another. Eventually we were able to figure out how to balance both our work and our relationship. It's actually rather simple once you get into the swing of things." she explained, taking out her lip paint to sweep it across her supple lips.

It made Nanao smile warmly as she listened. She hoped to have that one day, "That's sweet. You two make a lovely couple." she said, checking the time to which her eyes widened, "Has time really gone by that quickly? It's already six thirty." she said, Unohana nodding as she put the lip paint into her clutch in case she needed to touch it up later.

"Indeed it has. If you don't mind, I'll take you up on the tea offer. We can enjoy a cup before the boys get here." she said, Nanao nodding and leading her to the kitchen to get a fresh pot of tea made for them.

* * *

"So, how do you think Nanao will like the date tonight?" Jushiro asked curiously with his ever friendly smile as he looked to his best friend. He had on a pair of black slacks and a dark red button up on, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail that flowed down his back, tied off at the base of his neck. A tie was loose around his neck, slim and black silk that glimmered in the setting sun. Shunsui was sporting a grey pair of slacks with a soft pink button up of his own, a pair of black suspenders clipped to his pants. His hair was pulled back as it always was, only this time he wasn't sporting that usual straw hat he wore with his work uniform.

The brunette hummed in thought and gazed up at the sky as it bathed in the colors of the sunset, the clouds a beautiful faint pink and orange, "To be honest, it can go either way. It will be out of her comfort zone for sure. But I think once she's there for a bit she'll have fun. If not, I have a Plan B in case I need to save the evening. We'll take it nice and slow though. See how she handles it." he told him, Jushiro nodding as he put his hands in his pockets. He smirked a little bit and looked to his friend, amusement in his brown eyes.

"Heh… I've never seen you like this Shunsui. Not over a woman. Putting thought into your dates. A plan B in case plan A goes down.' he mused, Shunsui smiling faintly as he nodded, taking in a breath of air as the breeze gently blew past them.

"Nanao isn't just any woman, Jushiro. She's different." he said quietly, his grey eyes closing as they strolled along the path that would take them to Nanao's home. They opened again though when he felt Jushiro pat him on the back.

"You know I'm just teasing you, my friend. Nanao is a lovely girl. She's smart and knows not to put up with your crap." he teased him, making Shunsui pout playfully toward his friend as he placed a hand over his chest.

"You wound me Jushiro~" he chimed, making Jushiro chuckle as he shook his head, "But in all seriousness… you're right. But… she's different in so many ways. She doesn't put up with any crap. She treats me like an individual. She doesn't let my noble status or Squad ranking affect how she treats me. She'll put me in my place in a heartbeat if needed. And I like that." he said, Jushiro nodding.

"I can understand that. I feel the same with Retsu. She treats me no different than she would a friend. We're equals with one another. Though, she can be scary in her own way. With good reason too." he said, Shunsui laughing as he playfully elbowed him.

"Heh… Is that what they call it in the bedroom these days? Scary? In that case she must be one frightening lady when I come visit you to have tea at your Squad and Kiyone informs me that Retsu has already locked you in your office for your daily 'treatment'. Get too close and we can hear the screams~" he said, making Jushiro blush furiously as he face palmed. Shusnui could be too much sometimes, "I'm jealous though. Romps in the office must be fun." he mused, Jushiro raising an eyebrow as he looked to him.

"You can't tell me you've never done anything like that in your office." he mused, Shunsui looking to him with a faint smile, "Tell me Shunsui, when was the last time you got laid?" he asked, merely curious really.

Shunsui sighed deeply and hummed as he began to count on his fingers and then he dropped his hands, putting them into his pockets, "Since I realized I wanted to pursue Nanao…. so… quite a long while." he said to him, Jushiro's eyes widening since he honestly wasn't expecting an answer like that, "Despite what rumors say, I'm not that much of a man whore. If I have an interest in a particular woman I'm not going to just go sleep around with other women. That's a slap to the face of the girl I'm actually interested in." he said, Jushiro holding up his hands.

"I never said you were. I just never realized how long you'd actually been harboring feelings for your lieutenant." he said to him, tipping his head, "So… when are you going to tell her?" he asked him, Shunsui letting out another deep sigh as he shrugged his broad shoulders.

"I've no idea. Probably not any time soon. I don't want to chase her away. If I tell her too soon she might think I'm toying with her and might shy away. I don't want that. Besides… I don't even know if she feels the same. I mean, she's only agreed to these dates if I finished my paperwork every week." Jushiro raised an eyebrow and he shook his head.

"I think there's more to that. I doubt she'd just randomly offer dates for you to complete your paperwork. That would be a terrible thing to do because that would be leading you on. And we both know that Nanao isn't that kind of woman." he said, Shunsui nodding. That set him at ease at least. Jushiro hummed softly and he tipped his head, giving his friend a quizzical look, "In all the years I've known you, I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous about a woman." he mused, finding it both cute and surprising at the same time. He really couldn't remember a time that Shunsui was in a serious relationship. He'd always had a different girl on his arm every few weeks. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen a girl on his arm for quite some time. Sure at the bars there would be ladies who flirted with him and tried to sit by him in droves but he never seemed to give them the time of day, much to their disappointment.

The white haired man tapped his chin before shrugging his shoulders and he smiled at him, "Well, you'll know when the time is right Shunsui. Obviously you're doing something right if she'd continued to agree to these dates." he said to him. Jushiro had a point there. Nanao did seem to enjoy herself with every date he'd taken her on. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was just all in the timing and things would work out if fate permitted. The man just sighed quietly and nodded, hoping his old friend was right. Jushiro was a very wise man, so he usually was, especially when it came to matters of the heart.

He couldn't stop the smile that cracked on his features and his grey eyes shifted to his friend, "Heh… it still surprises me sometimes… You and Retsu. You made a lovely couple, don't get me wrong. I just can't help but think about what your relationship is _truly_ like when not in the public eye… I mean… considering which squad she was the captain of previously before taking over the Fourth… must be some interesting times in the bedroom." he teased, making Jushiro blush deeply as he shyly cleared his throat, making Shunsui laugh brightly, "You've got yourself a feisty one, that's for sure." he continued to say, Jushiro waving his hand as Nanao's house came into view.

"She certainly doesn't disappoint, that's for sure. There's never a dull moment with her." he mused, Shunsui playfully elbowing him.

"So~ Do you ever use her real name?" he asked curiously, Jushiro's eyes widening slightly before his blush deepened a bit, "Ha! I always wondered that~ Tell me, does she get off on it or is it you?" he continued to ask, laughing brightly when Jushiro playfully shoved him.

"Honestly Shunsui! Just because you're not getting laid doesn't mean you can dig into my love life." he said with a smirk, only teasing of course but Shunsui put his hand over his heart with a playful expression.

"You wound me Jushiro~" he chimed, both men chuckling as they approached the house. He cleared his throat and reached out to knock on the door. A minute or so later his phone chimed, "Ah. That's Nanao. She said the door is open. They're still getting ready but we can go inside." he said, Jushiro nodding and following Shunsui as he opened the door and went inside. Jushiro looked around him, a faint smile on his lips. Nando's home was how he imagined. Cozy and filled to the brim with books.

"We're almost ready! It'll just be a few more minutes!" NAnao's voice carried through the halls, Shunsui glancing back though no one was standing there.

"Take your time!" he answered them, leaning against the wall just chatting some more with Jushiro.

It wasn't much longer before another voice sounded in the halls, "All right. You ready to go?" came Unohana's voice, the two women walking down the hall. When both men turned to look their eyes widened and their mouths fell open a little bit. Jushiro, of course, blushed at seeing his sexy lover. Retsu was wearing a blood red, skin tight dress that came down to about the middle of her creamy had mid-length sleeves and a plunging neckline, giving Jushiro such a teasing view of her ample cleavage. She paired her dress with black stoned jewelry and a pair of black strappy heels, her hair long and flowing behind her. Shunsui was equally flustered and pleased with Nanao's dress. She chose a black cocktail dress with black lace overlay, about the same length as Rest's, with one sleeve that went to her wrist, the other completely bare to show off her slender arm and shoulder. Her matching jewelry consisted of red jewels and gold details, a pair of red heels completing her outfit. Her hair was pulled up into a half up, half down style. Shunsui didn't know what he liked more: The fact that she was in those clothes or that she still wore her glasses and had a cute blush across her cheeks. Both men were obviously blown away and Retsu smirked proudly, "Heh, take a picture and close your mouths boys. It'll last you longer and you won't catch any flies." she teased as she walked over to Jushiro, running her fingers down his tie, "You look very handsome tonight." she told him, Jushiro swallowing slightly as he gave her a little nod.

"You look stunning as usual Retsu." the man said shyly as he bent down to give his petite lover a kiss on the forehead. Shunsui walked over to Nanao and gave her a tender smile, taking her hand in his and he lifted it to his lips, pressing them against her knuckles. It made her heart skip a beat and her skin tingle upon feeling his stubble tickling it.

"You look absolutely ravishing Nanao." he told her, his voice deep and sincere, making Nanao's cheeks grow an even rosier pink. How was it he could alter his voice to that slightly deep and sultry tone that made her weak at the knees.

"T-thank you… You look very nice yourself." she managed to stammer out, making Shunsui smile and Retsu chuckle softly, "S-shall we head on then?" she asked him as he tucked her arm in his, Shunsui giving a nod.

"Indeed so. Let's get a move on."

* * *

Shusnui led the group to the Senkaimon and when they arrived the two large doors opened for them, four individual hell butterflies fluttering out to guide them inside and through the Precipice World. It only took a few minutes for the two couples to make it through to the other side and once they were there they headed to Urahara's to get their gigais, getting situated in them before Shunsui began to lead them down the different streets and alleys. After turning a few more street corners, Nanao could hear the faint sound of music, slowly growing louder the closer they walked to their destination. When they finally arrived Nanao's eyes widened and she looked up at the name of the place, "Are we… at a club?" she asked him with a blink as she glanced his way. Shunsui was smiling a little sheepishly and he nodded to him, reaching down to take her hand and give it a squeeze.

"Give it a chance sweetheart. Besides, it was partially Retsu's idea. She's a little minx that one. Hard to believe Jushiro's capable of taming her." he teased, Retsu chuckling softly.

"Ohh Shunsui… you're too cute. If anything Jushiro brings out more of that side than he does keeping it tamed." she said without missing a beat, Jushiro murmuring to himself and face palming before the two made their way inside. Shunsui looked back to Nanao who seemed a little nervous, doing that cute little thing where she nipped on her lip.

Shunsui stepped closer to Nanao and gave her a smile, "Now, I do have a Plan B if you're uncomfortable with going inside. I know this probably isn't your thing but I thought we could have some fun and relax, do some dancing. I don't want to make you do something you're uncomfortable with Nanao." he reassured her, Nanao smiling lightly at him and nodding, giving it a few moments of thought before she gave another nod.

"It's okay. I'll give it a chance. Thank you for being considerate with another plan though." she said, Shunsui relaxing once she told him it was okay. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel like she didn't have a choice in the matter, when in reality she called all the shots after the date was revealed. He gave her a bright smile and he kissed her forehead, making her blush but smile none the less.

"Great! Let's go join the other two then. We can get something to eat and then dance for a little bit." he said to her, leading her inside where they found Retsu and Jushiro already heading towards a booth in the back. It was set up quite nicely. It was a moderately nice place, with black leather booths and rich blue carpet with white accents. The club and dancing area was sort of blocked off, so you could hear the music without it being overbearing. Shunsui let Nanao sit down first in the booth, Retsu sitting opposite from her with Jushiro sitting beside her. The four picked up the menus that were placed on the table, and soon a waitress was there to take their orders, "Get whatever you'd like Nanao. If you want to get a drink the alcohol menu is on the back page." he said as he showed her on his menu.

"I'll take a cum shot please." Nanao was looking over her menu while the waitress took drink orders and her head shot up when she heard Rest's order, her eyes going wide, making the others chuckle.

"What the hell even is that to have such a name? I don't even see that on the menu." she asked, Retsu laughing brightly as she smiled.

"It's a shot with fireball whiskey and rumchata. It's quite delicious." she said, Shunsui chuckling as he smiled to his date.

"That's her go to thing. She can out drink myself and Jushiro on a good day. And that's saying something." he mused with a smirk, Retsu chuckling as she shrugged her shoulders, "Would you like a drink Nanao? Their berry sangrias are good. As are these mixed drinks." he said, Nanao humming softly as she looked them over. She'd been debating on or off if she wanted to get a drink or not. While she did want one, she had no idea how she'd do with alcohol in her system. She rarely ever drank it and even when she did she barely had to sips at a time. Though, tonight was for them to let loose and have a little fun.

After a moment she finally nodded, "Sure. I'll try the berry sangria." she said, the waitress nodding as she jotted it down, getting the rest of the drinks before she turned and headed to the kitchen to put the orders in.

Shunsui smirked and chuckled softly, playfully nudging his lieutenant, "I don't think I've ever seen you drink before Nanao~ Makes me curious as to what kind of drunk you are." he teased, Nanao raising an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't know. I've never been more than tipsy thank you very much~ And if it's anything like you I'd prefer to never get drunk." she retorted, making Shunsui pout and the other couple to laugh softly.

"Such a tease my Nanao-chan is~" he mused, casting her a wink before they looked over the menus to decide on what they wanted for dinner. After a few minutes the waitress brought their drinks to them. She gave Nanao her sangria and Retsu her shot sitting a bottle of sake down for Shunsui and Jushiro to sip on, giving them each two small glasses. Shunsui opened the bottle and poured them both some and then he lifted the cup, "Cheers~" he said, the group repeating him and clinking their drinks together. Nanao took a sip of her sangria and she hummed softly, "Is it goo Nanao-chan?" he asked her, Nanao nodding with a little smile. He was glad. The group chatted and sipped on their drinks, Retsu downing her shot and ordering another one to follow. They all ordered their food as well and soon were just relaxing, sipping their drinks and enjoying each others' company. They mostly spoke about what was happening within their squads and certain missions their subordinates were assigned. Shunsui looked to Nanao as she took a sip of her sangria, letting her finish before he spoke, "Speaking of missions. The head captain wanted me to go on a mission of my own in the coming week. Nothing strenuous. Just out in the Rukongai to investigate an area that's seen some hollow activity recently." he said, Nanao raising an eyebrow as she looked at him.

"When were you going to tell me this?" she asked curiously, Shunsui smiling sheepishly.

"I was going to tomorrow. He only asked me yesterday. It'll only be a day mission. Only a few hours tops. Why? Are you worried over me Nanao-chan?" he asked her, Nanao's eyes widening slightly and her cheeks turned pink in a soft blush, making him smile, "I'll be fine Nanao. I've handled my fair share of hollows in my years." he said to her, Nanao nodding. She knew he was more than capable of handling hollows. But she couldn't help but worry over him.

"Well, I'd be happy to tag along if you wished. To keep you on track and all." she teased, making Jushiro chuckle softly. Their food arrived a few minutes later and the group fell quiet as they ate their dinner, only taking about twenty minutes give or take to do so. As Nanao finished up her meal a particular song began to play and she glanced to Retsu who giggled softly.

The black haired woman glanced to Jushiro and she winked, "Now this is a good song to dance to~" she mused, Jushiro smirking as he climbed out of the booth, offering his hand to her.

"Then shall we go dance?" he asked curiously, Retsu nodding as she took his hand and climbed out of the booth, pulling down her dress a bit to adjust it and then she stepped to his side.

"Lead the way Jushiro." she said, the white haired man giving a nod as he took her out to the dance floor.

Shunsui smirked and leaned back in the booth, nudging Nanao a bit to get her attention, "Heh… You're about to get a show." he mused, Nanao blinking curiously as she glanced to the dance floor where Jushiro took Retsu. The two settled on a spot on the dance floor and he pulled her close as the upbeat music raged on, the bass blasting through and made even the booths in the restaurant vibrate. Retsu began to sway her hips, turning so her back was against his chest. Jushiro put his hands on her hips as he too began to sway to the beat. One of Retsu's hands reached up to cup the back of his neck while the other reached behind her to settle at his side. Nanao found herself blushing as she watched the usually sweet and calm woman turn on the seduction on the dance floor. Her head was tipped back to rest against his shoulder, her hips swaying so sensually against Jushiro's.

"I never would have pinned Captain Unohana as being a club goer." she murmured slightly, Shunsui laughing softly as he smirked at her.

"Retsu is full of surprises. She can certainly be a wild card and it hasn't changed since our Academy days." he mused, Nanao blinking as she looked to Shunsui.

"Were… you ever romantic with her?" she asked, really out of pure curiosity. Shunsui blinked and looked at her, shaking his head with a small smile.

"No. She's always been Jushiro's and he's always been hers. She was more like a sister to me than anything. When I introduced those two I knew instantly they had a connection. They've never strayed from one another. Even when they were separated for all those years dedicate their time to their Squads, they were never with anyone else. No relationships, no one night stands, nothing." he said, Nanao's eyes widening slightly as she turned them back to the other couple that were dancing on the dance floor, "I always found it interesting. They're polar opposites those two, yet they're completely perfect for one another."

She found herself smiling lightly as she listened to him. It gave her a sort of hope in a way She was basically Shunsui's polar opposite yet there they were going on dates. True dates or not, the fact was they were there and that's what mattered, "That's romantic." she mused, and Shunsui smirked at her.

"It is. Though, Retsu is a wild card. Don't let her petite size and sweet demeanor fool you. She's a wild fire for sure, especially when a certain name is used." he said, making Nanao raise an eyebrow as she looked back to Shunsui who had since looked back to her, giving her his usual charming smile, "Would you like to go join them?" he asked her, holding out his hand. She nipped her lip in thought, a little nervous at the thought of dancing. She'd never gone to a club before and didn't know the first thing about dancing in this manor. He sensed her hesitation and he tipped his head, "Remember, I have a Plan B if you don't feel comfortable." he said to her, making her blink before she quickly shook her head.

"N-No… I'm… just a little nervous is all. I've never been to a club. So… I probably won't be any good." she said to which made SHunsui's smile widen.

"I gathered. It's easy. You just move with the music. Besides, I'll be your dance partner so I can help guide you." he said, casting her a charming wink. She was still a little skeptical but she'd give it a chance. After a few more seconds she slowly lifted her hand and placed it in his, making his smile brighten.

"All right… I'll give it a chance." she said, Shunsui moving from the booth with her following behind him. He laced his fingers with hers and drew her close.

"Then let's go have some fun." he said, guiding his nervous date to the dance floor. They moved over towards where Retsu and Jushiro were currently dancing and Retsu spotted them, casting a wink at Nanao before turning her attention back to the man she was dancing with. She tipped her head to the side and Nanao watched as Jushiro bent his head down to start kissing along her neck, completely oblivious to the others around them. Nanao cleared her throat softly and was about to ask what to do when she felt Shunsui pull her to him once more. He couldn't help but pay a little more attention to her. She was like a child thrown out into something for the first time. It was actually quite cute with how nervous and flustered she looked, "Do you want to face me or do you want to face away?" he asked her curiously, going to do this exactly by her rules and wants.

She hummed so quietly you couldn't hear over the pulsing music and then she motioned towards the other dancing couple, "I… I guess like they are…. We can see how it goes." she said to him, Shunsui nodding and guiding her to stand in front of him, then he paced his hands on her hips.

"Put your hands on mine. Just move with the music." he told her, his lips close to her ear so she could hear him. His deep voice made her heart quicken. It sounded husky and slow. She swallowed and nodded, feeling him begin to move which she followed suit, rocking her hips to the music, "Just like that~ There you go~" he said, moving a little faster with her as the beat of the music picked up. Nanao closed her eyes, concentrating on the music but she caught his scent and that further relaxed her. Shunsui behaved himself and kept his hands on her hips while dancing but he could feel her relaxing as each song changed to the next, "You look gorgeous tonight Nanao…" he murmured to her as they danced, making her blush softly.

"Y-you said that earlier… but thank you." she stammered shyly, glancing up at him where she saw him gazing at her, the lights reflecting in his grey eyes. It made her suddenly nervous again but for a completely different reason.

"Even still. It's the truth." he said, kissing the top of her head as they danced on. After a while Nanao began to have fun and her movements were more fluid as she got the hang of dancing. Her hands moved off his and one went to his hip, slowly running up his side, the other slowly trailing up one of his arms. Her head rested against his shoulder, her eyes closed but a slight smile was on her face. The two danced for several more songs until Shunsui felt a tap on his shoulder and he glanced to the side to see Retsu smiling at him, her cheeks flushed. Nanao noticed and turned her attention to her as well.

"I was going to take a break and get some water and wanted to see if you wanted some." she said with a small smile, Nanao nodding, thinking that was a wise idea. She didn't want to get dehydrated. She looked to Shunsui who nodded and smiled at her.

"Go ahead. We'll be here when you get back." he told her, Nanao nodding and going with Retsu to the bar to get some water. They both sat down at the bar and Retsu got them two waters, the bartender nodding and getting them two tall glasses of it. They thanked him when he brought them their glasses and Nanao began to sip on hers.

"So, are you having fun?" she asked, loud enough so Nanao could hear her over the music.

She nodded to her and gave a sheepish smile, "I… actually am. More than I thought I would honestly." she said to her, quite glad for it too. She honestly had no idea what to expect and she was glad that it ended up being fun. She was actually enjoying herself dancing with Shunsui like that. At first she was very skeptical but he proved it was actually fun.

Retsu sipped on her water and smiled warmly, glad that Nanao was enjoying herself, "That's good. Shunsui was worried you wouldn't want to come here. It was sweet really. He had a plan B and everything in case you didn't like this place. It was my idea to be honest. It had been a while since myself and Jushiro had gone out to do something like this and when Shunsui asked about a double date I suggested this place. So if you didn't like this it would have been my fault." she said with a chuckle, Nanao shaking her head, about to reply when there was a tap on her shoulder. Both ladies turned to see two men standing behind Nanao, them both holding an extra drink.

"What's a pair of lovely ladies doing here by yourselves?" one asked with a smirk as he leaned against the counter, tipping his head as he looked at the two women, "Care for a drink?" he asked, lifting the extra cup. Both ladies shook their heads.

Retsu sighed quietly and shrugged her shoulders, holding up her water, "Taking a water break. Need to stay hydrated if you're going to dance the night away." she said, the man chuckling as he looked her up and down. Nanao was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, her eyes glancing out in the crowd but she couldn't see neither of their dates anywhere. It was too crowded and too dark to make anyone out past five feet.

The guy nodded and he licked his lips, "Oh~? Well you should save us a dance then." he said, Retsu shaking he head as she crossed one slender leg over the other, something both men definitely noticed as both their sets of eyes traveled down to them.

"No thank you. I think we're good. We have a high quota and… standards." she said as she looked the guys up and down. The man's eyes widened slightly at that and his ears grew red both in embarrassment and anger. Nanao couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Ehhh? What was that bitch? You think you're too good for us?" he asked, Retsu laughing softly and smirking at him.

"Ohhhh dear. I know we're too good for you." she said, moving to stand up from the bar, Nanao following suit, "Now if you'll excuse us." she said but the man reached out and grabbed Rest's wrist.

"Why you-" he started but the next thing both ladies and both men knew, the man was being yanked away with such force it took his breath away. The other man stumbled back a bit but bumped into something strong, glancing back to see Shunsui standing right behind him. The first man found himself in Jushiro's grip, one hand gripping his wrist in a vice grip while Jushiro's other hand was holding onto the collar of his shirt.

"I swear to all the gods if you so much as touch her you will taste the dirt on this floor." he said, narrowing his brown eyes. Retsu mewled softly and stood beside Jushiro, laying her hand on his arm. Nanao moved to Shunsui's side and he wrapped his strong arm around her to hold her close, Nanao tucking herself against him, taking comfort in his embrace.

"Now Jushiro. We don't want to get kicked out just yet. There's still more fun to be had, wouldn't you say my friend?" he asked him, Jushiro dancing to Shunsui before the brunette glanced to the other man who looked pale as a ghost, "I suggest you take yourself and your friend and find another watering hole to dig around in." he said,the man quickly nodding and he moved to grab the sleeve of his friend, Jushiro slowly releasing the man. He stumbled back, his eyes wide with fright written right on them. The other man quickly pulled on his sleeve and they both disappeared into the crowd a few moments later. Nanao sighed softly and she looked up at Shunsui who was gazing out into the crowd to make sure the men left and then he looked down at her, giving her that familiar warm smile, "You two okay?" he asked, Nanao slowly nodded.

Retsu was calming Jushiro down who was slowly relaxing, "We're okay. Trust me, if you two hadn't come in I would have put him on the ground myself." she said, leaning up to kiss Jushiro's cheek, "Let's go back to dancing Juu." she said to him with a smile, taking his hand to pull him back to the crowd to start dancing again.

Nanao sighed softy and chuckled, "Well… I can see what you mean by wild fire." she mused quietly, taking his hand to go back out onto the dance floor, "Let's go dance some more." she said to him, Shunsui happily taking her back to the dance floor where a new song began to play. This time she faced him, looking up at him as she nipped her lip, "D-dance with me how you would normally." she said, a heavy blush on her face as she asked him. His eyes widened and then he chuckled, taking her hand in his to spin her back around with her back to his chest.

"As you wish." he purred into her ear before he began to dance, holding her close to him where her entire backside was pressed against his torso. Nanao closed her eyes as she let him take over, rocking her hips in rhythm with his to keep up. Her heart was racing in her chest again. For some reason this felt so much more… sensual to her. They were dancing almost the same but it felt more intense. One of his hands began to move, slowly caressing her side and down to her thigh, making her skin tingle with every inch he touched. She gasped softly when she felt his lips brushing along her neck, sending goose bumps across her arms as his stubble tickled her skin. Her breathing was slowly beginning to grow harder. She'd never felt anything like this before. Her entire body felt like it was catching on fire. What had gotten into her? She didn't know. All she knew was that her body was responding on its own, arching to him as he caressed her with his hands and his lips. Though he was touching her and kissing her neck, the movements were still innocent. He wasn't touching anywhere inappropriate yet she felt like she was burning up. Maybe it was the alcohol and the adrenaline running through her from those men interrupting her and Retsu at the bar. She wasn't quite sure. For a moment she wasn't thinking and her hands began to roam back along his arms, her fingers brushing over the hair that covered them.

The music was pumping, blaring in her ear. The bass vibrated through her body, guiding her movements. In a matter of seconds she had turned around so she was now facing him, continuing to dance with him in that sensual manor. She finally opened her eyes and turned them up to his features, purple meeting slate grey. Suddenly her body was moving before her mind could process her actions. Her hands cupped his cheeks and she stood on her tiptoes, pressing their lips together in a hot kiss. Shunsui instantly reacted, kissing her back just as eagerly as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body flush against his strong form. She moaned against his lips which set his body on fire, his fingers clutching onto her, keeping her held against him.

Shunsui wasn't registering anything at the moment. All he knew was that Nanao was there with him in a club, kissing him as if she needed oxygen. He never expected Nanao to get so into dancing but she did and damn did he get a reaction he wasn't expecting. One of his hands moved to cup the back of her head as they continued to kiss, both gasping for air between those kisses as one ended and another began. Jushiro and Retsu who were nearby saw what was happening and both were smirking, not breaking the rhythm of their own dancing. Nanao continued to kiss Shunsui until her mind finally processed what was happening and she pulled back from the kiss with a gasp, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. Her hands were propped on his chest now, his own still wrapped around her. They'd both stopped dancing now, both just looking at each other for what seemed like eternity. Eventually Nanao found her voice first and she cleared her throat, "I… I'm going to get some air." she said to him before she pulled away from him, starting to make her way outside where she leaned against the wall. Her lips were still tingling and her heart was still racing in her chest. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to calm her rapid breathing. She was by herself for a few minutes when Shunsui, Jushiro and Retsu appeared, leaving the club in search for the raven haired lieutenant.

Retsu walked over to her and she put her hand on her shoulder, "You okay Nanao?" she asked her, Nanao giving her a faint smile as she nodded.

"Y-yeah. Just got too hot in there. I… I think I should be heading home. It's getting late." she said quietly, swallowing as she straightened up, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

Shunsui nodded, clearing his throat softly, "Sure. We should be heading back." he said to her, placing a hand on her lower back to start guiding her down the streets. Jushiro and Retsu followed behind them, passing glances at one another since the other couple seemed to fall into silence. The four made their way back to the senkaimon and within minutes they were back in the Sereitei. Once there he turned to Jushiro and Retsu, giving a nod of his head, "I'll take her home. Have a good rest of the evening you two." he said to them, both nodding.

"Have a good evening yourself. You as well Nanao." Retsu said with a smile, bidding them farewell before heading in the opposite direction with Jushiro by her side.

Turning back to Nanao, he blinked when he saw her already making her way down the path, "Oi Nanao-chan. Wait for me." he said, starting to walk towards her but she shook her head.

"I-If you don't mind… I think I'm going to head home by myself." she said to him with a small smile, taking him aback for a moment, "I just need some fresh air… clear my head a little." she said to him, Shunsui wanting to say no, wanting to go after her but he didn't want to push her. So he just stopped, nodding slightly.

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow Nanao." he said to her, Nanao giving him a faint smile and a nod before she vanished in a flash step.

Nanao didn't stop flashing until she got to her home. She scrambled to get her keys from the clutch she took with her and unlocked the door, hurrying inside and closing it behind her. She sank down to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. She slowly reached down to unwrap her heels, kicking them off nearby. The tears were threatening to appear but she kept them at bay, tucking her head against her knees. Her lips were still burning from the kiss at the club, the memories still hot and fresh. She kissed him. She. Kissed. Him. And he kissed her back. It still made her heart jump thinking about it. She took a breath and slowly stood back up, making her way to her room where she instantly climbed into bed, not caring about her normal bed time routine. She just crawled under the covers, dress, hair, jewelry and all, pulled them around her, closed her eyes and wished for sleep. It would be several hours before her racing mind finally granted her request.

* * *

Breathless moans filled the room, gasps and breaths of pleasure surrounding the couple as their clothes were pulled off their bodies and tossed to the floor. Backed to the bed, Retsu chuckled softly as she fell back onto it, a half naked Jushiro moving over her, his long white hair tumbling over his shoulder to cascade over them, long since pulled from the hair tie that had it secured back earlier. He bent down to capture her lips in a hot kiss, Rest's arms wrapping around his shoulders, "You think they'll be okay? Nanao seemed a little upset and quiet on the way back." Jushiro said between kisses as he trailed his lips down to her neck.

Retsu moaned softly, her body arching to his hands, "I'm sure she will be. She's not used to someone being romantically interested in her. Especially someone like Shunsui. They'll figure it out though." she said, one hand running down his back while the other ran down one of his strong arms. His hands slowly moved to her chest, cupping her breasts in them which earned him a louder moan from her. Already she could feel the heat swelling inside her, spiking even more when she felt his thumbs caress her nipples. She tipped her head back and let out a sweet moan, her skin burning wherever he trailed his lips.

"I hope so. She seemed a little spooked when we went to find her." he said, Retsu rolling her eyes and within a few seconds she had them rolled over, pinning Jushiro down with made him chuckle.

"Jushiro darling… We can talk about that /after/ sex, okay?" she asked him which made him chuckle softly. One of her hands reached down to pull down his briefs, tossing them aside before that hand went to cup him, making it his turn to moan now as his length twitched in her hand.

"Mnnn understood~" he mused with a smirk, Retsu licking her lips as she leaned down to kiss him deeply, her hand stroking him until he was hard and pulsing in it. One of his hands ventured between her legs, Retsu gasping and arching when two of his fingers pressed inside her, her walls fluttering around his fingers as they slowly pumped in and out of her.

"F-fuck…" she breathed out, her free hand clawing down his chest which made him moan. He loved this side of Retsu. She was wild, passionate, untamable. She was perfect in every way and she was all his. His fingers caressed her porcelain skin, his thumb brushing along the swell of her breast, "Haa~ Jushiro! Mnnn~" she moaned out, her hips rocking against his hand. After a few more moments of his teasing she moved his hand away and moved over him, positioning him at her entrance, "Mnnn~ Don't you dare hold back~" she purred, slowly sinking down atop him. Jushiro didn't know why, but it always satisfied him when he heard that small gasp she gave whenever he first entered her. It set his entire body on fire with desire for the woman he currently shared his bed with.

Retsu sank down until he was fully inside her, Jushiro sitting up as his arms wrapped around her, flipping them around where she was beneath him once more, "I wouldn't dream of it… Yachiru.."

* * *

 **THE NEXT MORNING**

When day broke, Nanao's eyes slowly fluttered open. She was exhausted. It was well past midnight when she finally managed to get to sleep, but it was such an unrestful sleep that she might as well have stayed up the entire night. She slowly made her way downstairs and made some tea, hoping that her usual morning blend would give her the pick me up she needed so desperately. That morning she was a little slow at getting herself together, but once she did she headed to the front door, "I can't just hide from him. I'm the lieutenant…" she murmured to herself, slipping her badge on at the door before she opened it. However, she stopped in her tracks when she saw a single red rose on the door mat, with a little note attached to it. A soft blush settled on her cheeks and she bent down to pick it up, unfolding the little note.

 _The rose, to make up for not sending one last night. You can add it to your collection._

 _Shunsui_

Despite the events that happened the previous night, she couldn't help the smile that appeared on her lips. She slowly took it to the counter to place it in the vase, then she turned around and headed out the door to head to her squad.

* * *

 **Hello all! I am so so SO sorry it's taken me so many months to update. I'm at university and this semester has really chewed me up and spit me out (Smart me chose biology as a major and chemistry is NOT my strong suit) Anyways! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. I think to date this is my LONGEST chapter ever. I hope you don't mind it. ^^; But! Please leave me a review telling me what you think! Also, I'm going to start this little thing where if you want to put in an idea for a date for these two, send me a PM telling me your idea and if I like it, I shall write a chapter around that particular date. :) I still have some in mind that will happen. But I just want to know what sort of dates you guys want them to go on. Thanks for reading! :) 3**

 **Byakuya'sGirl90210**


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